The Mocking Pin
by Candiordo
Summary: "You want this, 12?" He showed Katniss the gold Mockingjay from his pocket. She merely glared at him but, he knew she did. "Well, if you want this pin, you need to give me what I want."
1. Fluctuations

This is my first attempt to write a Cato/Katniss fic. Please do not expect that this story will follow the timeline as the book or the movie does. Also, I am writing from memory, and so, if there are any details that are inaccurate, please leave it at just that.

Hope you enjoy reading! :)

* * *

The lights of the Capitol blinded her even though they were way up in the fancy hotel. The Capitol seemed so big with its massive, brightly-lit buildings spreading out from one end to the other. District 12, on the other hand, was miniscule compared to this. The whole population of the Seam can even fit into this entire room. This suite, she realized, was unnecessarily big—but then again, this was the Capitol and there were a lot of things in excess, and there were a lot of things unnecessary.

She clutched the Mockingjay pin to her chest. This small gift is a memory of home—of Prim, of Gale, of the memories in the woods. This is what she needs to win—to go back to Prim, to District 12. This is to make her remember that she needs to become the Victor.

Katniss walked away from the windows and sat on the fur-lined couch.

"This is so exciting! So, what do you think Katniss? Isn't the Capitol so pretty? And look at all the decorations! These were made to welcome the tributes." Effie squealed in excitement, her energy having no signs of running out anytime soon, despite the long train ride.

"It's stupid." Katniss muttered so the annoying woman can just stop talking to her. Sure, everything was made to "honor" the tributes. But it didn't cover up the fact that 23 of them were going to die—all so that the Capitol can have its entertainment. There is nothing entertaining about death, even more so a violent one.

24 of them took the train to the Capitol and only one will be going back home. The 23 who dies have said their last words to their families when they left for the Hunger Games. No one from these 23 will be going back alive nor dead. 48 parents will be watching the Games intently—praying, crying, shouting, full of hope to see their children alive. But then again, 46 of them will mourn. Every year, children die, parents cry and the Capitol entertained.

The familiar stench of alcohol permeated the room. It can only mean one thing—Haymitch.

The middle-aged man could barely support himself as his feet dragged towards the direction of the pantry, obviously getting another bottle of some alcoholic substance that he can get his hands on. He seemed so focused on not tripping that he didn't even notice that the two women were in the same room.

"I swear, that oaf has drunk too much to not even realize that he reeks of what he drinks." Effie shook her head, her tongue clicking in disgust. To escape from the ugly sight, she just turned her attention to Katniss. "Katniss, tomorrow will be a big, big day! Your stylists will be coming here to fix you up, and of course, also Peeta. I bet you're excited."

Katniss snorted. _Yeah right._

Effie was about to start chattering again when the lights flickered, followed by a loud, distinct buzzing. The sound was like a bee's, a wasp's or a Tracker Jacker's, but louder. Katniss looked up to the ceiling lights, seeing them dim for the next few seconds until it was back to normal. The suite was momentarily bathed in darkness, but immediately was coated with light once again.

The Capitol woman sighed in relief, her vision plastered to the ceiling. "Oh my, that has never happened before. I wonder why that's happening." She began to fan herself as if she was in a state of panic. "Oh, I hope it's not going to be a power outage the next time it happens. I can't live without electricity!"

Katniss was used to these kinds of occurrences back in the Seam. But they always ended up in what one could call a blackout. When it happened, they would all light candles late at night to make sure they don't get used up that much. It actually made her feel better that the Capitol had these kinds of inconveniences.

Katniss smiled at the thought.

Effie waited until all the lights were bright and blinding before speaking. "Whoo! Now that's over, where were we? Oh! Your makeovers. You wouldn't believe the stylist we got for both of you this year—"

Katniss rolled her eyes that Effie started yapping again. She stood up and ran past her.

"I'm going out." She said, not bothering to look back.

* * *

Cato cracked his neck several times before cracking his knuckles. The muscles that bulged all over his body, albeit flatteringly, were aching to do some training before the Hunger Games begin. His mentor, Brutus, was shouting at him not to leave the room, but that pissed him even more than he did during the train ride. He decided to take longer and go up the roof just to see Brutus ticked off when he comes back.

His floor to the last may be a long trip, but he could say that nobody dared enter when they saw him glare. Now, it was back to his initial agenda which was going to the gym—do some heavy lifting, practice with the swords, and do some damage to the dummies. He curled his fist from anticipation. He couldn't wait to try it on another tribute. Spilling blood, breaking necks, piercing flesh—yes, those were all his specialties.

He is going to be the Victor, and nothing, or rather _no one,_ in hell is going to change that.

The familiar _ding_ of the elevator broke him from his thoughts. When the doors opened, he was met with a girl inside the confined space, looking at a tiny object in her hand. He waited for her to go out, but she didn't. It infuriated him because the bimbo wasn't aware of where she was, and instead just stood there. If she was going down too, he wasn't sharing the elevator willingly.

After a few moments, the girl dropped her hands and looked at him. "Down?"

Cato grunted. She had no fucking clue. _Fine_. He went inside, bumping her arm slightly to make her know he was pissed. But she didn't even notice that.

_Bitch_.

He pressed a button and then they were moving. He looked through the mirrors on the walls, and saw that the girl was an olive-skinned brunette, had gray eyes, and was petite and skinny.

_An easy enough prey for the games._

She was a tribute, from the looks of it, and a poor one at that. From her dress which he guessed was made with cheap material and her messy hair, he could say that this girl right here was one of the rats from the poorer districts. She was from one of the districts that don't consider being a tribute an honorable status. These kinds of people for him were a joke. Who wouldn't want to be a Victor?

The elevator moved smoothly and quietly, descending down without any stopovers, which he liked. But when they hit the fourth floor, everything shook.

Cato lost his footing, and the girl was pushed to the floor. He was able to hold on to the walls to keep steady and preventing him from falling. The lights of the elevator were also slowly dying out, leaving an orange glow that can be seen from what he recognizes as an emergency light.

They waited for what seemed like a few minutes before they moved.

The brunette sat herself properly on one corner, facing the door. And Cato placed himself on the other corner, intent on staying on his side. _Great, just great._ Now, he's stuck with the runt and he won't be able to train right away like he wanted. He would have to wait out this fucking blackout before he could do anything.

5 minutes…10 minutes…15…20…30 minutes passed in silence. He was counting.

Cato was frustrated. He had been sitting for too damn long. He stood up and began punching on the doors. His fists were used to abusing hard surfaces, but this kind of practice was not training. This was kid's play. He gave a particularly hard jab on to the right side of the door and was able to leave a slight dent on the steel. He smirked.

"You're going to break that." He heard a voice behind him say.

He turned around. "What? What did you say?" He grabbed the collar of her dress and lifted her off the ground like a rag doll.

She merely looked at him, her eyes not avoiding his furious gaze. "I said, you're going to break the door." Her voice calm, but stern.

He pushed her roughly into the wall. "And why is it your business to tell me that?"

Cato looked into her equally angry eyes until she hit his nose really hard.

"You bitch!" He dropped her from his grip. He wiped his fingers on his nose to see if there's any sign of blood.

And, there was none.

_Fuck the rules that we're not supposed to attack each other before the Games._

His fist was prepared to hit her, but the PA both got their attention.

"System recovery in 5…4…3…2…1."

The elevator began to light up, as the orange bulb automatically switched off. And before the both of them knew it, the door was opened to the ground floor.

Swiftly, the girl bolted out of the elevator. Cato wanted to chase her and teach her a lesson. But then, if he did just that, he wouldn't have the chance to have fun with her during the Games.

Oh, he would have plans _just for her_. He cracked his knuckles again, preparing to step out, but before he could, something glistened on the carpeted floor.

It was a golden Mockingjay pin.

* * *

So, how goes the story?

Please review! :)


	2. Staring Contest

Oh my gosh guys! Thank you so, so much for reviewing/subscribing/making me (or the story) one of your favorites. Words cannot express how happy I am! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Anyways, here's the second chapter of The Mocking Pin.

Enjoy!

* * *

Peeta felt uneasy seeing Katniss go back and forth from the torture chamber and out. They had been at this all day with Cinna's team fixing their hair, their complexion, and fitting into their costumes. He was first because they said he was a guy and he needed less grooming. And here he was wearing the black outfit Cinna made him. The whole process was short for Peeta.

But it was a different story with Katniss. It seemed like they had fussed over her more since they spent a long time in there. All he could hear were the sounds of humongous bandages being peeled off really fast from her skin through the door, some "blow-drying" and a lot of talking. He heard Katniss about wanting to go out again to check something out for a second, but there seemed to be no response.

Effie told him not to listen since it wasn't polite to pry over a woman's grooming. But he didn't even understand what was going on in there. What were they actually doing to Katniss? She didn't need to have her appearance changed. She's already perfect as she is.

But Katniss did really seem bothered about losing her pin. She told him about the pin and asked to return it to her when he sees it. She looked so upset last night when she came back and he was in the pantry getting himself a glass of water. He was so worried about her but she wouldn't talk more about it. He did go to the elevator to check if it's there, but he didn't have much success either. Wherever it was, it was either lost, thrown out, or stolen—which is highly unlikely, but possible. He did wonder, however, why did her dress looked torn last night? Or was he so sleepy that he was imagining things?

Peeta rubbed his eyes, but Effie slapped his fingers with a fan.

"No rubbing! Even if it itches! You and Katniss need to look your very best tonight. President Snow is going to be there." She told him in her high-strung voice. Effie crossed the room and knocked at Katniss' door. "Yoohoo! Katniss? You need to tell them to wrap up everything. We're behind schedule by two minutes! You and Peeta need to be on those chariots for the parade in half an hour."

The knob of the wooden door turned, and one by one, the stylists came rushing out.

"May we present to you, Katniss Everdeen!" They said unanimously in their irritatingly loud voice.

Effie, Haymitch, and Peeta were in the room waiting for her to come out. Peeta noticed that his mentor merely rolled his eyes, but he just waited.

Katniss stepped out, clad in Cinna's similarly-made black creation. The outfit, though almost the same to his, flattered her lean body and suited her better than him. Her hair was styled in elaborate plaits which framed her face. And her "make-up" or the "face paint" as he calls it, was made so that everyone who looks at her will be drawn to her eyes.

Peeta felt himself blush as he stared at Katniss. Maybe he was being too meticulous about the details of how she looks. Maybe, he should instead focus more on making her smile because though her eyes were beautiful, they looked so sad.

* * *

One by one, the tributes from each district went out through the respective doors. Though they were in the same building as all the tributes, they were not to see each other until they get out for the parade. They go in and out as scheduled, Effie explained to them. But Katniss didn't care about them. She cared more about her Mockingjay pin. It was from Prim. From _Prim_. And she lost it.

It was in her pocket. She was sure of it. It was _there_. But not until that boy dropped her on the floor.

"Ugh." Katniss felt frustration as she opened and closed her fists. Their chariot was already slowly moving forward. She knew she should be focusing more on smiling like Haymitch said she should be in order to mask that _charming_ personality of hers, but, she _whole-heartedly _didn't care.

It must have fallen out of her pocket. But she was unsure if it really did fall because of that boy or if it was because she ran out of the elevator so quickly that it fell. She tried looking for it, retracing the path she took, even stalling the elevator for a few minutes before letting it move. But she just couldn't find it, even if she did try to escape from the stylists from time to time today, just to look for it.

She sighed.

Katniss felt fingers trying to capture her hand, but she automatically pulled it away. It was Peeta.

"Katniss, I know that you're upset. But please, this will make it easier for you to look likeable." Peeta looked at her, his blue eyes overflowing with concern and sweetness.

She considered his words, but when the doors opened before them, she entwined their fingers together and raised them for the crowd to see. She waved, she smiled, and she accepted the roses the audience was throwing them, even more so when their capes burned with synthetic fire. The crowd roared, as she saw herself onscreen, blazing, burning, but unscathed.

Men, women, and children of the Capitol were screaming. Confetti was being showered from above in all sorts of colors. There were petals, glitters, colored paper, and even sweets just raining down.

With all the overwhelming attention, she couldn't help but feel that someone was looking at her intensely. And she was sure that it wasn't the people of the Capitol. She raised her head to the balconies—where Peeta and she were going—and recognized, among all of them, a tall figure, robed in golden helm and armor.

It was the boy from last night. And he was smirking at her.

She let go of Peeta's hand, and absent-mindedly waved at the still screaming crowd. Katniss maintained herself in the moving chariot, just wanting to wipe that expression off his face, her grey eyes just wanting to burn holes unto it.

But the boy didn't look away, as if he was deliberately challenging her, or just trying to tick her off. He kept that smirk all the while staring at her as the chariot moved closer to the drop-off point.

It only seemed like a few seconds, maybe a minute or two—she wasn't keeping track—but before she knew it, the small girl beside him was already elbowing him. And the beautiful blonde girl on his left was looking from him to her and decided to just glare at Katniss. The other boy was just laughing at the commotion. The other tributes were looking at his group or at her.

The tall boy widened his smirk, and crossed his arms. She tried to channel her fury through her gaze, but she felt Peeta tugging at her.

Peeta was pulling her hand now to get her attention, and she realized that she would have to look away from the boy at the balcony. Irritated, Katniss turned to Peeta, but he wasn't looking at her. He just pointed to the two big screens above them. One screen was focused on the tall boy and the other one was focused on her. The cameras zoomed in on them until half of their bodies were shown. The boy now looked at the screens when his group pointed it to him.

Her burrows furrowed for a moment in confusion as to what was happening, but she saw something familiar on the boy's armor, and her eyes widened in shock.

It was her Mockingjay pin.

She was beyond murderous when she saw Prim's gift on that boy's chest. He was not only a psychotic and sadistic asshole who likes to beat people—he was a thief too.

Katniss didn't notice that the crowd by then was screaming louder. It was only when the green-haired announcer entered through some hovering vehicle that she was able to avert her attention elsewhere. The man was near the balconies, and just above them. Their chariot seemed to halt all movement too. The crowd became less rowdy, albeit still excited.

The man was laughing carelessly in a very flamboyant manner. But nothing was funny to Katniss when he spoke.

"My, my, ladies and gentlemen! Is this love at first sight between tributes?"

* * *

What do you think of this chapter?

Please review! :)


	3. Implications

Hi everyone. I'm so happy that I've been receiving reviews, and that I've been also put on alert, or on favorites. Heck, I'm just so happy that a lot of people are reading!

And since I am inspired, and I have some free time, I decided to upload 2 chapters today. This is the first of two chapters I will be uploading. Enjoy!

* * *

Caesar Flickerman was laughing with Claudius Templesmith in his late night show. "S-so, Claudius," the host could barely stifle his laughter, "I must say that was a good joke." Claudius was now the one trying to suppress his, wiping a tear at the corner of his eye. But Caesar sat up and cleared his throat.

"Anyways, Claudius, what did you think of tonight's parade? Surely that was unforgettable. Aside from the fact that it blacked out after the lil' old me fabulously strutted in a hovercraft." There was a recorded applause as Caesar winked at the camera.

Claudius then straightened his face into a more serious expression. "Yes, yes of course. I believe it was the most unforgettable yet—aside from that unfortunate power outage of course. Our beloved President Snow was not able to push through with his appearance because of that. It is the first parade without our President having graced it with his presence."

"Of course, of course." Caesar nodded at his response. "Now, all of Panem must have felt that the parade was lacking without President Snow himself. But, what did you think of what happened between two of the tributes during the parade? Between District 12's Katniss Everdeen and District 2's Cato Lindgren—you know, as they captured the attention of all of Panem with all that intense eye contact caught in camera?"

Claudius shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "Honesty, I think that's the focal point of the parade. Who has ever heard of an inter-district attraction, so blatantly expressed in public? This will make the 74th Hunger Games the most interesting we've ever had!"

The recorded applause echoed again, and even Caesar was clapping. He shook Claudius' hand and turned to the camera. "Good night people of Panem. To those night owls who can't seem to sleep at night, we will be playing the replay of the parade until dawn. And to Katniss Everdeen and to Cato Lindgren, get lots of rest because Panem will be watching! Good night everyone! Sweet dreams to you all."

* * *

"Sweetheart, good job on making people like you. Definitely, that was a hard task I made you do, but you delivered." Haymitch paced back and forth, appearing sober for the first time. Peeta was restless in his seat, wanting to speak but their mentor asked him to keep quiet. "But you know," Haymitch paused to look Katniss in the eyes, "you didn't have to appear like you have a crush on someone! And a Career at that! Do you know how hard it is to pull that off? You haven't even spoken to the guy! Or met the guy!"

Haymitch was angry, and he wanted to talk more, but Effie butted in. "Haymitch, for all its worth, Katniss might have gained some sponsors. She would be remembered just for that."

The mentor turned to Effie then. "Yes I know that. But with that kind of gossip-crazy Capitol we have outside, what do they expect Katniss and that District 2 Career to do? Create a show for them in the Games? That's gonna get Peeta killed. Furthermore, that little stunt they did during the parade, how can we translate their _eye-fucking_ to an actual story that can save _both _the tributes of District 12 from that boy's filthy Capitol-sponsored hands?"

Everyone stayed silent for a few moments, Haymitch's words resounding in the air.

But Katniss was first to break the silence. "I met him." She said softly.

All heads turned to her direction.

"What?" They asked at the same time. Katniss merely huffed at their curiosity.

"I said, I met him. Just last night. When I lost my pin." She looked at Peeta to remind him.

"But, honey, it blacked out for thirty minutes! You couldn't have seen him by then." Effie told her.

Katniss sighed. She was going to have to say everything that happened. "Well, I wanted to go down, but I didn't notice that the elevator I took was going up. It stopped at the roof, and he was there. He went in the elevator, and after a few seconds, it blacked out. We got stuck in there for thirty minutes."

Peeta stood up in surprise. Haymitch, Effie, and Peeta have their mouths hanging open.

"What did you do?" "Did he do anything to you?" "Did he talk to you?" "What did you talk about?" "How was he?" Questions came barking out of their lips and Katniss just sat back, repulsed at the implications that they were trying to get at.

"If you must know, we didn't do anything nor talk about anything. We didn't even look at each other. He was very rude and violent. He got so impatient that he started to punch the doors. I actually told him to stop." Katniss exhaled. Now, she was starting to feel pissed—at the Capitol, Caesar Flickerman, Claudius Templesmith, _that boy_, Haymitch, Effie, Peeta, and all their dirty thoughts.

"Then what?" Peeta screamed.

"What do you think, Peeta? He was furious and he grabbed me by my collar. He lifted me up, trying to scare me, but I punched him on the nose." Katniss crossed her arms. "He dropped me on the floor when I punched him. He was actually about to hit me when the lights went back on. I ran out of the elevator as soon as the doors opened."

Peeta and Effie sat down in disbelief. Haymitch stood still, and belted out a drunken laughter.

She wanted everyone to just get off her back, but Peeta still looked curious. "Katniss, why didn't you just ignore him at the parade then?"

Katniss glared at his fellow tribute. "Aside from his lasting first impression, he stole what my sister gave me—my Mockingjay pin, which by the way, he was wearing during the parade."

With that, Katniss left and went into her room.

* * *

His biceps and triceps flexed as he raised the 200-pound weights above his head. There was a bit of pain from everything that Brutus made him do after _the incident_ last night. Cato gritted his teeth. It was disgusting what they were implying on that stupid rainbow-colored host's show. He just wanted to throw her off—to make her fume, to get her distracted, to get her head out of the game—which is why he wore the pin. But his plan just backfired.

Brutus may have been ticked off the other night when he came back late to their suite, but last night he was breaking everything fragile in the entire room. The Avoxes cleaned up broken shards of glass from vases, mirrors, tables, figurines, and even broken pieces of wood. But he wasn't scared of him. If his mentor did get so blinded to attack him in anger...well, people did call him Brutal Cato for a reason.

He placed the weights back in its place, and waited for the other tributes to arrive—even Clove. She seemed as much disgusted with him as he was disgusted with District 12. He didn't understand that the Capitol _didn't understand_. He and the girl from 12 were trying to intimidate each other. Was that so hard to see?

_Why the hell is the Capitol so fucking stupid?_

The door to the training room slammed open, and one by one, they all went in. District 1 and Clove were together, glaring at him, but on the way to where he was. He merely raised an eyebrow at them, obviously annoyed at what they were trying to do. He heard other tributes scrambling through the door and began to size them up.

He felt a lot of eyes on him as each tribute passed, giving him looks, but scurried off at the second he notices. Cato felt his jaw tighten. _This is bullshit._

And finally, it was the pair from District 12 entering the door. The room was so quiet that he noticed all the tributes was either staring at him or at her. He saw that 12 noticed it too and just put the distance between him and her the farthest, deciding to remain at the back of the room. _Good_.

Someone cleared his throat in the front and got everyone's attention. It was a coach for the training center.

A man with a colored moustache introduced himself. "Good morning, tributes. My name is Magnus, and I am the assistant coach for the training center. As everyone can see, we do not have the coaches for today because of an urgent matter. That is why, all of you will be unable to to have evaluations from our coaches, or even guidance at the stations we have here."

Clove stepped forward. "Then how are we supposed to prepare?"

Magnus raised his hands. "I am unable to fully disclose the information. But given that we have been experiencing blackouts for the past days, President Snow has decided to move the Hunger Games from its original schedule to 5 more days from now. So no worries. There's time"

Clove was surprised at the announcement, but everyone else felt uneasy. "So what are we going to do?"

"Well today and for the rest of the remaining days before the Games, the coaches have decided to train the female tributes for this year, with the help of the male tributes of course. But it wouldn't be unfair since the exercises we have prepared ensures that both female and male tributes will be trained. " The coach told them, his attention now on his clipboard.

Glimmer was the one to speak. "Why? Do you coaches think we're weak?"

Magnus didn't even look at her and just answered her question like it's the simplest one there is.

"Well, this year's female tributes seem to be mostly petite, and the President fears it might not make for a good Game if every one of you will just die quick. The male tributes; however, are exceptionally strong this year. So today, I want all the male tributes to line up, pick a piece of paper and go to your chosen female partner. Chop, chop, boys!" The man blew a whistle.

Cato refused to move. He wasn't doing anything but train himself. "_Coach,_ why can't we just stick to our female district partner? Wouldn't that be better than _this_?"

The coach eyed him through his glasses. "Son, we can't have you letting your female partner slack off just because you're from the same district. Now go. No more questions." He shooed away Cato and addressed the male tributes one by one. "District 12, Peeta Mellark? You go first."

Cato angrily watched as the boy from 12 approached the coach. He took a piece of paper from the coach's hand. "District 11." He said when he opened it. A small girl raised her arm and the boy went to her.

_This was stupid. Incredibly stupid._ It wasn't the male tributes' fault if they were stronger.

In ascending order, the male tributes picked their partners from different districts. 11 got 3, 10 got 6, 9 got 8, 8 got 9, 7 got 5, 6 got 10, 5 got 1, 4 got 7, and 3 got 2.

There were only 2 districts left. 4 or _12_. Great.

Cato sneered. He didn't like this at all.

"Cato Lindgren, District 2?"

He approached Magnus and took one of the last pieces of paper from his hand. Everyone seemed to be anticipating something. He opened the piece of paper, and crumpled it as soon as he has seen it.

"District 12."

He gruffly moved towards her direction. Cato knew where to find her. And indeed, she was at the corner, standing tall, her stance defiant, and her expression furious. His eyes didn't leave her face as the space between them became smaller and smaller. When he was about a foot in front of her, he stopped.

They were completely unaware that as they stood, 22 tributes were their audience, and Magnus was taking note of what was happening on his clipboard.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Chapter 4 is coming up.

Please review!


	4. Cat and Mouse

Chapter 4, everybody!

* * *

"Now that everyone is in pairs, I want all the male tributes to listen up. I'm not asking you to befriend each other. Chase them, Attack them but don't hurt them—make sure they learn what you can teach." Magnus' voice echoed all the way to back, and Cato couldn't help but smirk.

Katniss could feel Peeta looking to her direction. She appreciated the concern, but she can handle this. District 2—no, _Cato_—is just some dumb boy who's all into killing. Playing with swords, knives, and every weapon like it was an amusing game—and it was not. She could tell he wasn't happy being paired with her, but it's not like she was absolutely thrilled to be stuck with him either.

After last night, she would have wanted to avoid him so as to not fuel last night's "gossip". But now that there's no way that's going to happen, she would just have to try talking him into giving back her pin. She looked back at her _partner_ and he was finding entertainment in watching Marvel teach his partner how to swing a sword. But she couldn't figure out how she was going to convince him.

The coach was leading the different pairs into different areas of the training center—to the knives, weapons, camouflage, knots, fire—and left them there. Magnus was now approaching them. "Hey, you two. You're up next."

The man led them into a vacant room with an obstacle course around it. She and Cato looked around the big space, as Magnus explained what to do.

"Okay. For the next 2 hours or so, I want you, Cato, to chase Katniss in this space. I will give her a small object to place in her hand, and I want you to retrieve it from her. You, miss Everdeen, if by any chance he catches you, I want you to keep him from getting that object from your hand. The point of this whole exercise is to maximize the use of your legs—for both of you, but especially you, miss Everdeen. Rules: no punches, kicks, and headbutts."

She took a small coin from Magnus and closed it into a fist.

Cato was already leering at her, while he was stretching his legs on the floor.

"Cato, why don't you teach her how to warm up?" Magnus added, before he turned on his heel and walked away.

She waited for the coach to close the door before she sat next to him. Katniss spread out her legs in front of her and mimicked what he was doing. He put his arms above him and bent his torso all the way down to his thighs, his fingers, going past his toes.

She did the same thing—she put her arms above her head and bent her torso all the way down. She tried her best to stretch the reach of her arms. Katniss looked at the tips of her fingers and saw that she could barely reach her toes. She frowned.

Cato snorted beside her, obviously making fun of what happened. "Damn, 12. You sure are pathetic." He glanced at her, and started snickering.

Katniss' eyebrows met in anger, and she pushed Cato away. He fell to his side, shoulder first, and Katniss started running.

She held the coin in her hand and tried her best to sprint through the obstacle course. She needed to stay focused on this exercise. Or else, she might look weak. She won't allow herself to be caught. If these were the Games, and Cato catches her, she's good as dead. And that's goodbye to Prim and to District 12. _No, that's not happening._

"I'm gonna get you, 12."

Katniss heard him stand up, and she tried to jump from one point to the other. Cato was already running, and he closed the gap pretty quick. She continued to run as fast she could away from him. He was 10 feet away from her already, and he seemed motivated to bridge that gap. She felt herself losing her breath but she pushed her legs to go farther.

Cato was less than five feet away from her now. Her heart was pumping so fast from the adrenaline. She was near. She eyed the finish line, less than a meter way.

But, as soon as she saw that red line, she fell face-first as Cato toppled her to the ground.

* * *

His left arm held her waist and his right arm was trying to force the coin out of her hand. He was on top of 12. She was struggling, he could tell. She could barely even move. He was able to lift the lower part of his body as he planted his knees on the carpeted floor. He had her on lock in his arms. Cato pushed her further unto him, and started to bring her up, but the girl forced herself down on the floor, and brought him down with her.

The girl beneath him grunted as his full weight fell on her. He was pressed against Katniss, and she was squirming to get away. Her legs started moving from side to side, trying to escape, but Cato tightened his grip on her. She was frantic beneath him. But he will not let her escape.

He held her still as he tried to grab her hand from her chest, but she wouldn't let him. In her futile attempt to break free, the girl pushed her hips back as hard she could. Cato groaned. His groin was pressed against her buttocks, and he needed her to stop squirming.

"_Fuck_. 12, I swear, stop moving. You are going to regret it if you don't." Cato threatened her, his voice slightly breaking.

And to his surprise, she did. She was frozen in his arms, but her hands were still on her chest, away from him. He needs to get that coin to win.

Cato released her from his grip to turn her over but she got up really fast. However for him, it wasn't fast enough, and he was able to pull her ankle down and turned her over to face him.

The girl from District 12 was angry for sure. Her eyes looked like the way she had always been looking at him for the past few days—furious. Her hands were on her chest, curled in tight fists. To prevent his nether regions reacting unnecessarily like he did a while ago, he sat on top of her waist and grabbed her wrists. But the girl just wouldn't budge. He let go right away.

"Just give me the coin, 12. So that those wrists of yours don't need to break." He told her, his arms now moved at the sides of her head.

"Why would I want to do that? To let _you_ win? I don't think so, Cato." She hissed right back.

So, she knew his name. That amused him. "What's it to you if I win anyway? I _always_win. Even in the Games, _I_ will win." He grabbed her wrists again, but she pulled it more secure to her chest.

"So what are you? A killer? A winner? Oh, you're also a thief?" She tried desperately to keep his hands off.

Cato pondered for a moment for the meaning in her words, and smirked at her. "Oh you mean I stole your pin. Yes, I did. I think it's good to keep it as payment for almost breaking my nose."

The girl huffed. "You deserved to get punched in the face. How I wish that I did break your nose."

Cato put his hands on her fingers again, wrapping the fists into his palms, pulling them away from her chest. She continued to struggle against him, and he could barely slip through the gap between her chest and her hands. She thrashed against him still. And Cato was caught off guard when she lunged herself at him, throwing back Cato on to the floor.

His hand didn't let go of hers, and when he fell, Cato pulled her with him. But instead of being able to drag her down with her hand, he was only able to grab something else—the front of her shirt.

A loud ripping sound resonated in the room, and Katniss fell on top of him.

She struggled to sit up on his waist. She pushed himself from his chest only to find that the zipper of the black and red shirt she was wearing was ripped at one side, exposing her bra-clad chest and her stomach to Cato. Out of panic, she tried closing them, but she could barely make the stretchy material look decent.

"Impressive." His eyes roamed the front of her body, his mouth forming another smirk, when she slapped him.

Cato grabbed her wrist with one hand, and pulled her down with the other just to reverse their positions.

He placed both her arms above her head with one hand, and looked down at her.

"You know, that hitting fetish of yours is getting really old."

He ignored her indecent state. He already won this exercise. Cato resumed looking for the coin in her hands with his free one, but he couldn't seem to find it. "Where's the coin, 12?"

She didn't answer him. She wasn't even looking at him.

He was near past his boiling point. "Where is the_fucking_ coin?" Cato asked with clenched teeth.

He was about to ask again, when a whistle blew loud enough to make his eardrums ring in pain.

"Just what do you think you're doing, Tribute Cato Lindgren?"

* * *

Thanks for reading guys!

Please review! :)


	5. Steam

Whew. 5 Chapters in a week? Gosh.

Guys, thank you so much for reading, reviewing, and putting me on alert and in favorites. Again, I appreciate them a lot.

I would like to inform everyone that I might just be able to update every week because of my hectic schedule. I hope that this chapter will suffice until next week.

Enjoy!

* * *

The beat up face of the coach appeared on the screen. The bridge of his nose was already fixed with a white bandage, but his right eye still looked freshly bruised. There was also a small cut on top his right eyebrow—all stitched up, but still pink. Caesar Flickerman winced at the picture and shook his head.

"District 2 tribute, Cato Lindgren is known for his superb strength and his short temper. But tonight, we see a result of both. This violence is the first we've seen from a tribute to a citizen of the Capitol. The cause of the hiccup between assistant coach Magnus Royce and tribute Cato Lindgren is still unconfirmed because we only know little from what goes on in the training center. However, my sources tell me that it involves another tribute. This unfortunate incident has threatened his standing as a participant in the 74th Hunger Games, but lucky enough for him, he is backed up by a lot of fans and remains as the representative for his district. We just hope that he reigns in his temper—that is of course, only until the Games, that is."

Caesar gave his famous wink, and the news flash was over.

* * *

Cato felt a sudden pressure at the back of his neck as Brutus slapped him as hard he was allowed to. "Why are you so stupid, kid?" The mentor eyed him. "Do you know how much sponsors you're going to lose just because of that?" He pointed to the now muted television screen.

Cato stood up and towered over his mentor. "It wasn't my freaking fault. It was _his_. He kept on butting in on other people's _fucking business_ where he isn't even part of. He was asking for it, Brutus. It was 12's fault too."

The smaller man crossed his arms. "Well whosever fault it was, you were the person who looked like who did something wrong. And please, again with _12 girl_?" Brutus spat out his last words. "Look here, Cato. If you don't fix this, I suggest you jump off this building instead of joining the Games. You are going to die anyway. And your problem with 12? Go figure yourself what you're gonna do. I ain't helping you out." Brutus stomped away from him and left the hotel suite.

Cato grabbed the porcelain vase on top of the coffee table and smashed it on the floor. He moved and kicked the couch with all his strength and let it flip over.

_That bitch. _He was only seeing blood in his eyes as he remembered what happened in the training room. His fingers had gotten hold of the lamp near him and threw it to the farthest wall.

_It was her fault._ If she hadn't been a pain in the ass and just gave him the coin, this wouldn't have happened. If she had just let him win, then her shirt wouldn't have ripped open and that joke of a coach wouldn't have thought that he was _molesting_ her—and he wouldn't have beaten him up.

_Losing sponsors? Who heard of such a thing for District 2 tributes? _

_Brutus won't help him? Fine. He knew exactly what to do._

Cato left his mess and slammed the door open to his room.

He headed straight at the side of his bed, took the gold pin at his table, and strode out of the suite. He was going to find the stupid girl.

She owed him.

* * *

Katniss held the cup of coffee in her hands and did her best to avoid Peeta's gaze. One finger traced the rim of the mug as her palm supported the whole thing. This was a distraction to keep her head low, and she wouldn't have to talk him.

She didn't get it. Peeta was so angry at her and Cato a while ago. She did explain to him that it was an accident because of the exercise, but he didn't believe her. And then everything got worse when the other tributes came rushing over, and _especially_ when that brute of a boy started beating the coach after accusing him of being a rapist.

Katniss laughed as she recalled what happened. Of course she was humiliated, but she was so glad that Cato wasn't able to find the coin she threw away when he pulled her down. She lost, no doubt, but Cato didn't win either, so that's really, really good—well at least _for her_.

"What's so funny?" Peeta asked. His expression softened, but he was still somewhat angry.

Katniss glanced at him but looked down at her cup again. "It's nothing." She said, her voice more serious.

Peeta sighed. "Okay, Katniss. I know you don't want to talk about it so I'm just going to sleep. See you in the morning." He seemed disappointed, but she didn't feel comfortable sharing about the experience with Cato a while ago with him, or with _anybody_ for that matter.

Katniss sipped her coffee in silence.

After what seemed like a long time, she yawned and rested her head on the arm rest of the couch. Effie and Haymitch seem to be sleeping soundly in their respective rooms. She decided that she might sleep right here. She was too tired to move.

Her eyes were fluttering already. But she was jolted awake when there was a loud pounding from the door. Katniss groaned.

She dragged her feet across the suite, leaving the mug in the living room. She unlocked the door and opened it slightly.

By the time she recognized the figure in front of her, she was roughly pulled out of the suite and was slammed against the closed door.

"Hello, _Katniss."_ Cato said her name with boiling poison.

Her eyes narrowed into slits. "What do you want?"

Cato snorted and slammed his hand on the door, his right arm at the side of her head. "Seriously? You don't know?"

She was pissed. She didn't get out of her sleep to have a guessing game. "No."

Cato crossed his arms and cracked his neck. He seemed to be calming himself down, but she knew otherwise. "About the news with me beating up that retarded coach. It's your fucking fault. You know that, 12? And now, you _owe_ me one."

Katniss rolled her eyes. "It's not my fault. It's yours. And I don't owe you anything." She turned around to open the door, but he just closed it with his fist. Cato moved away from her and retrieved something from his pants.

"You want this, 12?" He showed Katniss the gold Mockingjay from his pocket. She merely glared at him because his smirk told her that he knew she did. "Well, if you want this pin, you need to give me what _I_ want."

She couldn't believe this. Katniss closed her eyes, and breathed deeply. She looked at him, her face stern. "What do you want me to do?"

Cato's smirk widened. "Get me some sponsors by telling me how much you love me, even when you first saw me, in the interviews tomorrow."

"Eew. No. That would be disgusting." It was her turn to cross her arms.

"Don't worry about that, 12. I think you're disgusting too. I would need to do the same thing. It would just be for the interviews. When it comes to the Games, I'm just gonna have to save you last and then kill you. Got it?" Cato wasn't asking anymore, he was _telling_ her.

Katniss thought about it for a moment and shook her head. "No, Cato."

"Damn it, 12! When I win sponsors, _you_ win sponsors. Don't you get that with that little head of yours?" She knew he was reasoning with her now, but she didn't want to lie for him—for anybody. Not with Prim watching her on television.

"Cato, I said no."

* * *

Cinna dressed Katniss in a beautiful, glittery black gown with a long train. He told her to twirl for her interviews, and smile for her sister. But Katniss felt that she couldn't even do just that. She felt uneasy. She had no angle to work with. She was just plain unlikeable. It was impossible to fix that—even the lovable Haymitch can attest to that.

But when she told him about Cato's_ proposal,_ she was surprised that he told her to accept his offer. She didn't speak to him all day because she was pissed at him. He can't possibly ask her to do such a thing.

Her mentor approached her from behind and tapped her shoulder. "Sweetheart, what's your decision? You taking his offer?"

Katniss stiffened at his question. He knew what her answer was. She told him. "I told you that I don't want to do it."

He shook his head. "Katniss, see the reason in this. Once you get sponsors, you can share it with Peeta." Haymitch paused for a moment, and made his voice into a whisper. He moved closer to Katniss so she could hear. "He won't have to die, Katniss. Now, I'm not saying that if you have sponsors, you can guarantee that you will win. No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that whatever you get from sponsors, you get to last longer, you get to fight harder. It doesn't seem like a big deal now, but in the Games, it does miracles. Come on, sweetheart. Give the nice boy a chance to prolong his life."

Katniss was silent. She hadn't thought about it that way.

"Think about it. Actually, think on it as we're on our way." Haymitch left her in the living room and got Effie and Peeta to come out.

The four of them rode the vehicles going to the stadium for their interviews. Haymitch and Effie took a separate ride from her and Peeta. And it was just the both of them in the car.

Peeta didn't talk to her. He seemed to be angry still—maybe even angrier. He wasn't even looking at her. But that doesn't matter to her right now. She has a decision to make and it was only less than an hour that she could make up her mind. But what would she actually say when she decided not to do it? Katniss shook her head. She didn't need cold feet now.

When they arrived at their destination, they were led to a waiting room where there were 12 love seats, 1 for each district, with quite a distance from each other. She and Peeta were obviously at the last seat. The other tributes weren't there yet, and Katniss was thankful she didn't have to see _his face_ when she entered the room.

When she sat down, Peeta moved closer. "Just what did you do with the District 2 tribute last night, huh?" He asked her in a furious whisper.

Her eyes widened in response. "And what were you doing eavesdropping like that? It's not like your business, Peeta."

"I wasn't listening in on your conversation. I can hear your voices. I can't believe you're still talking to him even after what he did to you in the training center." Peeta fumed.

Both of them didn't notice that the room was filling up with the other tributes. Katniss ignored the weird looks she was getting because her district partner was getting on her nerves. The 1st District came out for their interviews.

Peeta moved even closer and whispered, "You know, I just can't imagine you being like other girls. Now, I realize that I can."

Katniss snapped at him. "What do you mean, like _other_ girls?"

"Like the silly Capitol women, just fawning over _him_."

Katniss opened her mouth to speak but she just decided to shut it and pushed him to the farther side of the seat. "Get away from me Peeta. I'm not talking to you tonight."

She crossed her arms, and watched as the 1st District exited the stage and into the Banquet Hall. District 2 was next. The small girl came first. Katniss looked away from the television in the room and took a deep a breath. She really needed to calm down. She was so furious at Peeta that she could just punch him too.

_How dare he even compare her to these Capitol women? What was he even trying to insinuate?_

She was wrapped up in her thoughts, when she realized that the female tribute of District 2 had already left the stage, and Cato was next. She snapped out of it and looked at what he was going to do.

Cato was clad in a gray suit, his physique accentuated with the superior tailoring. Compared to Caesar Flickerman, he looked like a giant, sitting in a small chair because of his buff body and long legs. But before he started his interview, Cato signaled for Caesar to stop and took something from his breast pocket—her pin, and placed it on the right side of his chest.

Caesar smiled. "I'll ask about that later." The host pointed to the gold pin.

Katniss rolled her eyes. She didn't like where he was going with this.

"But for now, Cato Lindgren, I would like to ask you, how are you doing with the controversy of you punching coach Magnus Royce the other night?" Caesar asked him seriously.

Cato gave him a nod at his question. "Well, Caesar, I want to apologize to him for what I did. It was wrong of me to do that to him. I guess I just lost my temper. I mean, I am a tribute in training after all. So I guess I'm excused?" The audience laughed at his answer.

"Of course, of course." Caesar merely patted his lap and laughed too. But he straightened his posture and asked another question. "So, going back, what is _that_?" The host pointed to his chest.

Cato placed a hand on the pin and responded. "This is a Mockingjay pin. It's not actually mine. A girl gave it to me."

Katniss snorted. Caesar Flickerman looked at the audience and wiggled his eyebrows. "Ooh! Might I ask, what about Katniss Everdeen and your little staring contest during the parade? What do you suppose she'll think about this girl you're talking about?"

Cato smiled and looked down to pause before answering. The audience seemed so quiet. Even Caesar was anticipating it. He looked toward the camera, then to the host.

"Actually, the girl I'm talking about and Katniss are one and the same."

The audience roared in excitement. The Capitol women squealed, and all the men cheered for him. The applause was so loud that she could barely hear Caesar Flickerman.

Katniss curled her fists. He was making her look like a lovesick girl over him. She knew what he was doing. He was trying to win over the sponsors, and with her own pin, _and _with a fabricated story about _them_. What a heartbreaker she'll look like if she rejects him—by then he will have gained more sponsors from sympathy alone. She needed to do something. And she needed to do it fast.

She has made a decision.

Katniss sucked in her breath one last time and ignored Peeta as she stood up to leave the room.

* * *

Cato could barely control himself any longer. This charade was very hard to pull. But he must say, it was easy to reign the Capitol in with this kind of sob story. He was surprised at how long he lasted just faking everything. This should get him a lot of sponsors.

"Oh my. Aren't we all excited to hear Katniss talk about this later?" Caesar addressed the audience, and they eagerly responded in the affirmative.

Cato dropped his head and feigned sadness. "But you know, Caesar, I don't think she reciprocates how I feel."

"Aww…That's too bad."

The host's face changed into a sad expression, his lips curled downward at his dilemma. The people around Cato depressingly reacted to his made-up situation. But he, on the other hand, could barely control laughing.

He continued to look downcast, his head hung low. Caesar just let him "recover" for a moment.

He must say, this was a huge success on his part. After the failed attempt to strike a deal with her, he realized that this might be the way to go. If everything goes right, Katniss will reject him and he will get more sponsors from making her look like a cold-hearted bitch on national television. He didn't need Katniss at all. And he won't have to fake hating her when he kills her in the Games.

"C-Cato! Look!" Caesar interrupted his thoughts, his finger pointing to the direction where he came from.

Cato sat up and turned his head. A figure approached him from the shadows.

The audience was screaming like crazy by the time he realized it was Katniss. She was striding towards him. Her face looked angry, but she was determined to do something else. Cato stood from his seat and couldn't hide his surprise. Her petite form neared fast, and he was confused as to why she was here.

But before he could think of anything else, his mind blanked when Katniss forcefully pulled his head down and kissed him.

_The bitch figured out his plan._

His body couldn't even react properly, his hands that were barely touching her just wrapped around her waist as the kiss intensified. He lifted her off the ground easily as they continued to kiss feverishly. Her hands were everywhere—in his hair, on his neck, his shoulder, his jaw. The cameras were flashing like lightning on the stage.

His mind was becoming blank again as he let one arm snake around her torso, while the other was placed just below her hips. Their lips were on each other, giving passionate, open-mouthed kisses as they held each other on stage.

From what seemed like seconds, Cato didn't see her dress turn red from her chest, the glittering rouge going all the way down to her train and then burned. When their lips still connected, the fire engulfed Katniss' dress all the way to her knees, then stopped.

She then pulled away from him, and Cato breathlessly dropped her feet gently on the floor, their eyes still connected with each other. Red, shimmering cinders fell from her dress.

"Give a round of applause, everyone! For Cato Lindgren and his girlfriend, Katniss Everdeen!"

* * *

So what do you think?

Please review! :)


	6. Revenge

Hello! I'm sorry I haven't updated. I was just so, so busy with school that I could barely do anything else. But here it is. I hope you like the chapter. I might be able to squeeze in 2 chapters for next week.

Also, thank you for everyone who read, and who put me on alert and in favorites! I love you guys. :)

* * *

Cato pulled her closer as they sat across Caesar. His left arm drooped around her shoulders because the loveseat wasn't big enough for both of them. Katniss froze and tried to put some space. She didn't want to be that close to him long enough. Kissing him meant a lot of sponsors, but beyond this one time, she wouldn't want to be this intimate again. It was beyond tolerable. She's not going to repeat what she did in national television.

_That should be convincing enough. _She decided to scoot a little farther to the edge.

Katniss felt his nails dig deep into her shoulder. Her fingers curled on her lap in pain but she just put a hand over his and loosened his fingers from her skin.

"What a sweet couple!" Caesar looked over. The people of the Capitol screamed their names, the stadium vibrating as they cheered on. He crossed his legs and shifted to a more comfortable position and put his cue cards away. He rested his chin on one hand, and didn't even bother to look at the audience. "Hmm. Young love." The host sighed.

Katniss let go of Cato's hand, but she felt that it moved to the back of her neck as he slightly angled it towards him. Warm lips were at the top of her head for a few seconds and he released her right away. He put his arm around her again, the tips of his fingers moving up and down from her shoulder to her elbow.

_She was going to kill him._

"Okay you guys. Now, I know that Katniss will be part of the last 2 interviews for the night." Caesar addressed the crowd. "But are we all okay in letting her do hers now?" Caesar put his hand over his ear, as if wanting to hear a loud reply. And there was a unanimous and thunderous affirmation. "Cato?" he asked, but Cato just nodded.

The host turned his attention back to her and Katniss breathed deeply. She didn't like talking in front of a lot of people. She would just have to continue pretending.

"I know everyone wants to talk about your relationship, but let's talk about _you_ first. First of all, I want to ask, given that you are the first tribute to have volunteered from District 12, how does it feel like to represent where you're from?" He asked her a tad seriously.

_I want to go home. _She thought. But Katniss cleared her throat and faked a smile. "It feels good, actually. I mean, aside from meeting Cato, I can't believe that I get to experience the excitement of the Games."

Caesar took in her answer, his mane wagging behind him. "I understand what you mean. Not that I've been _in_ the Games, but watching tributes seem to give this certain rush that you don't feel everyday. But aside from the excitement of the Games, you volunteered for your sister. Why don't you tell us about her."

She paused for a moment and let her nails pierce her palm. "My little sister means a lot to me, and I really love her. She is my world, the reason why I want to stay alive in this competition—to come back, like I promised." She fluttered her eyes, trying to keep her composure. " She actually gave this pin to me." Katniss put her palm over Cato's chest, "It's one of the most precious possessions I have. And yet, I gave it to someone who I think is very dear to my heart—a fellow tribute and I guess, the love of my life. At least for the remaining days before the Games." She gave a sad smile.

The crowd applauded and cheered for her, but this time, their faces plastered with surprising sympathy and tears. Cato removed his outstretched arm around her and pulled her knuckles to his lips. But Katniss didn't care to flinch. There was a faint joy on her face. This interview made her feel vulnerable. What she said about Prim, those were all true.

Caesar looked emotional, taking a handkerchief from his coat, and leaned back. "Why don't you lovebirds go relax and have fun? There are a lot of feelings for tonight. Cato and Katniss, everyone!" He announced, signaling their exit.

Cato entwined his fingers with hers and led the both of them to the Banquet Hall.

* * *

He looked for her in the party, but Katniss hid herself well. When they arrived, she dropped her hand from his and went to the restroom. Cato didn't even notice when she exited, but she was gone from his sight. It was already two hours after he last saw her. Some sponsors he met for the night were asking for and about her, and of course, about their relationship.

Cato took a shot of alcohol. He didn't understand why she was being such a pain. Their acting was a huge success, though it wasn't really part of his plan to be in it with her. And here she was—gone. He took a glass of wine from one of the servers and wandered about the Hall again. The sponsors were eating, thankfully. He had enough of playing at false courtesies. The tributes from 1 and Clove had no problem blatantly expressing dislike though.

Cato just sneered at them.

He spotted the boy from 12 across the room. He was alone in a table, talking to his drunkard mentor. Cato walked pass them, but he didn't see Katniss around that area either. He moved on and let his vision follow the grandiose size of the hall—there were a lot of tables, open bars, and balconies. He had been all over the tables and the bars, but she wasn't there.

_The balconies it is_. The venue had at least six balconies on each side. Every one of them was well-lighted, the doors open to let people come and go to take a smoke or to mingle. All of them—except for one. The farthest balcony had no light and the doors were closed. Cato smirked.

He had found her.

* * *

Cato closed the French doors behind him and paced to her direction. Katniss was leaning over the edge, her elbows placed on the marble railing, obviously deep in thought. Though it was darker out there than inside, he could see her very well—her glittery dress, her brown hair, her ridiculously high heels. But he wasn't here to admire the work of her stylist. He was here to bring her back inside and _guarantee _sponsors. He grabbed her elbow a bit too roughly just to get her attention.

"Ugh." Her head snapped to his face and pulled away from his grip. She rubbed the ruddy part of her arm where he held her. "What is your problem?"

Cato clenched his teeth in annoyance. "My problem? You're my _girlfriend_! And you weren't with me inside that_ fucking_ hall for the past two hours gaining _more_ sponsors." He saw her glaring at him. "Listen here, ignoramus. You and me are supposed to be together_._ Got it? When we're together, we get more sponsors, no matter how much you disgust me, and how much I disgust _you_. Understand?"

Katniss looked away and exhaled. She was simmering down and he knew that she agrees. But her head once again snapped into his direction but avoided his gaze. She instead just snatched the wine glass from his hand and drank it in one gulp.

"Hey! That was mine." Cato pointed to the now empty glass.

She just wiped her mouth with her fingers as her face contorted. "So? You have _something_ of mine! And, aren't you my _boyfriend_?" Katniss took the crystal again and sniffed. She let out her tongue in disdain.

Cato took the glass from her. "Dumbass, get your own. And that was wine, stupid. Your obvious lack of refinement didn't register this as one of the best drinks in all of Panem."

Katniss snorted. "Whatever. I saw Haymitch drinking the same thing. I didn't know it tasted awful."

He rolled his eyes at her comment and left her at the balcony to get a bottle and a glass from the bar. When he came back, Katniss was seated on the floor. He sat down beside her, his long legs awkwardly tucked beneath him. She didn't even acknowledge his presence. Cato just opened the bottle and poured a glass for himself. He sipped his wine once, not before noticing that Katniss took the bottle and drank the alcoholic substance straight from the container.

Cato watched her gulp vigorously without taking breaths in between. She downed it for a few seconds before letting it down. She inhaled a bit too sharply afterwards, her breathing becoming erratic. Her shoulders and fingers were shaking. He watched her and he knew that something was wrong. He had seen a lot of girls do the same thing when they were about to cry. She put the bottle to her lips again and drunk heavily.

He put down his glass and stayed quiet. This was an unusual situation to him.

"Y-you know, we're liars." Katniss seemed to hiccup when she spoke.

Cato nodded. He knew how to deal with drunks, but not girls who are trying to become one. "Not surprising news." He looked when she drank the wine again, seeing her brows meet when she swallowed the red liquid. Cato sighed and leaned his head back. Neither of them talked for the next few minutes. He could just hear her swallow the wine.

"I-I…" She stammered.

He faced her when when she tried to speak. "What? Did you say something?"

"I-I said, I think you're a b-bad kisser." Katniss hiccupped. She was obviously _becoming_ drunk after drinking half of the bottle. Cato raised an eyebrow at her admission, and sat up straight. "A bad kisser?"

Katniss giggled—the kind that anyone hears from a drunk, except more sarcastic and annoying. She nodded. "Yu-yess. A terrible k-kisser." She took his glass and finished it for him. Her laughter filled the balcony as she nodded again. "Mm-hmm. A bad, _bad_ kisser."

Cato was amused at her easy drunkenness. He wasn't a criminal to take advantage of intoxicated girls, but he was willing to accept the challenge. It's not like she'll remember this tomorrow. Besides, he needed to take some sort of revenge after crashing in on his interview by jumping on him. He moved closer to her. He knew what to do.

"Hey, Katniss." He spoke softly.

Once she faced him, he tilted her chin with one hand and kissed her.

He kissed her fully on the mouth—his lips covering hers. He must admit that she was stiff for a moment, but once he pulled her head back with his other hand, Cato was able to gain access to her slightly open mouth. One by one, he sucked her upper lip then her lower lip before devouring them both in a heated kiss. He moved his lips furiously against hers as she tried to keep up.

He pulled her closer to him, one hand still at the back of her neck, while the other, placing her hands on his chest. Katniss was hesitant to respond, but he felt that she was—just a bit too softly. Cato grinned. He released her mouth for a moment and planted kisses on her chin, her cheeks, and her jaw before returning to smack her once again.

She was a little more responsive this time, her lips experimentally putting more force unto him than a while ago. Cato pulled her head back even more, and took the chance to slip his tongue into her hot mouth. He played with her tongue—massaging it—provoking her to kiss him back. He put an arm around her waist, and put her on his lap. Their lips were still connected, but now that they were closer, Cato put more ferocity into his kiss. Katniss moaned.

She was pressed against his chest, and he could feel her heartbeat go faster as his hands were roaming around her body. Katniss placed her legs at his sides, her skirt hiking up mid-way. She put more weight on him, her lips pacing against his almost perfectly now. Their movements were synchronized. Though he was leading her, her kisses were as passionate as it had been a while ago. And Cato could feel that everything was starting to go way _too hot_. Her body and her core was very warm and so was his.

He got what he wanted, and now he _needed_ to stop.

Cato pulled away from her this time, gently biting on her lower lip before releasing her completely. He let Katniss rest her head on his shoulder, and fixed her legs and skirt into a more _decent_ position.

"Am I still a bad kisser?" He asked her arrogantly, looking down at her flushed face.

"I-it wasn't bad." Her voice was sleepy.

Cato raised his voice. There was no way in hell that someone was better. "What? Who then is a good kisser? _Baker boy_?"

Katniss didn't respond right away. She settled herself more comfortably in his chest. A yawn escaped from her mouth before answering him. "D-don't know. Haven't been kissed by anyone before." She said in a voice slightly louder than a whisper.

His heart skipped a beat for some reason from what she told him. And he could feel a different kind of warmth going up from his neck and into his cheeks. "What? What the hell do you mean by that?"

_He was her first?_

Cato peeled her away from his chest and grabbed her shoulders. But before he got anymore answers, her head was thrown all the way back—Katniss was already asleep.

He sighed in frustration. He wasn't going to get any more answers from her now that she won't remember this in the morning. He still did get his revenge though, a personal victory so to speak. But now, he had a façade to keep up.

Cato gently lifted her in his arms, and carried her into the hall. The people gasped in delight when they saw the both of them emerged from the balcony. They were talking in hushed voices excitedly. The other tributes were eyeing him and her. His mentor, and Haymitch, as Katniss calls him, were just nodding in approval. And Baker Boy just looked pissed.

Though she was asleep, he knew they had already gained more sponsors as the cameras flashed wildly until they went down the elevator and was driven to the hotel.

* * *

What do you think?

You know what to do. 'Til next week! ;)


	7. Knowing

Hi guys! Doing three chapters. So this is 1/3.

* * *

The glaring light of the sun blinded her when she stirred from her sleep. The rays penetrated the thin layer of curtains covering the windows. Katniss rolled her head to the other side, squinting her abused eyes. There was a pounding in her head that she couldn't place. She rose from her bed, her fingers rubbing her temples in circular motion to relieve herself of the pain.

The elaborate hair style for the interview was but a mere a mop of loose curls budging from the pins still clinging to her scalp. She removed them one by one, assessing her current state. By some point last night, she passed out from drinking. Her dress was still intact but her shoes had been taken off. She was still wearing make-up and the jewelry. But she couldn't remember anything after she left the hall, or how she got here. Most of what happened was a blur, especially the banquet.

She only remembered that last night, there had been a lot of emotions. She was so angry with Haymitch for telling her to agree to Cato's plan, with Peeta because he was being so moody and judgmental, with the Capitol for being so annoying and stupid, and with Cato because he was such an asshole. But most of all, she was angry with herself for being carried away and doing the last thing she would ever think of doing, the kind of thing that she would just rather die than do. Katniss groaned.

By the end of the interview, with all those feelings just intensifying, she was already exhausted and she went back to the reason on why she was doing all this—for Prim. It was only a few days before the Games and she couldn't do anything but _this_. Getting her pin back was a first step. Her fake relationship would help her retrieve it. _If_ she dies, she would do so with the last memory of Prim on her chest—not on that _monster's_.

Running away to a place where no people were was the relief that she needed to get herself together. Gaining sponsors—that was the agenda last night. When she kissed Cato, she knew _they_ had them. It felt wrong and disgusting, but it felt worse when she_ professed _her love for _him_. She lied to everyone—to all of Panem, especially to Prim.

Katniss put her head to her knees.

The feeling of bile creeping up from her stomach wasn't good. She rocked herself back and forth, but it made the nauseating feeling even worse.

Throwing back the covers, Katniss ran to the bathroom and she let out everything with only one thing in mind—Cato.

* * *

The dark circles under her eyes were what Peeta first noticed when Katniss went out of the room. He couldn't help but feel worried for her. Everyone in the suite heard her vomiting. _Did she drink last night? If she did, then why? Or did Cato make her? _He curled his fists. Back in District 12, he rarely gets angry, and when he was, he only kept quiet. But this time, he would be willing to show what he can do if Cato did deliberately make her drunk.

Katniss walked past him, and Peeta saw that her hair was a very loose bundle of curls tamed in a ponytail, a bit messier than usual. She just had a shower so she smelled good too. But he had always liked everything about her—down to the littlest details. Now, however, she just looked sick and weak, but still pretty and fresh to him nonetheless. He was glad that Haymitch made use of his drunken experiences to help Katniss. But now, he realized that he couldn't stay angry with her—now that it's only a few days more before the Games.

Peeta followed his partner to the elevator, and when the doors closed, he tapped her shoulder.

"What?" Katniss faced him, her anger from last night still reflecting in her tired eyes.

He looked down at his toes, and back to Katniss again. He felt uncomfortable being looked at like that. "I-I'm sorry about last night. I shouldn't have said anything."

Peeta watched her reaction but she just looked at him, her brows furrowing. "Fine. But I still don't understand why you were acting like such a prick."

_It's because I like you._

He swallowed his words. "I heard you and Haymitch talking about me. Katniss, I have pride too, you know. I can take care of myself. I know that—that, I don't have a chance. But I don't need any help. If someone should stay alive, it should be you. And I shouldn't have doubted your intentions with Cato. I understood what you were doing. I know you were doing it for your sister." His words were only half true. He closed his fists in frustration.

Katniss turned away from him and heaved a sigh. "This is my business, Peeta. And fine, I forgive you." She crossed her arms and leaned back on the wall. She ignored him, but still, he felt a lot better now that it was okay between them.

Peeta took a step back and leaned on the wall beside her. Though he doesn't get to express his feelings, and he no longer gets to hold her hand like he did in the parade, he felt contented to be here just beside her—no feelings of anger, of hate.

* * *

"So, how was your _princess_?" His fellow district tribute asked him.

Clove was holding a knife in her hand. The fingers that held the blade were preparing to throw. Her feet were slightly moving, trying to get the best angle for her aim. She may be the best knife thrower he has ever known, but to Cato, she was just an annoying little girl who liked to pry.

Cato snorted at her question and slashed around with a heavy, long sword. Gripping the weapon, he poked and sliced through several dummies around him. Foam and plastic flew in the air as the artificial innards came splaying out of the torn and abused bodies. He had completely obliterated five in a matter of two minutes. Cato held the piece of steel in his hand, and mentally stored the image in his mind. He was going to get _this_ for the Games.

He grabbed another weapon, a spear, and threw it across the room. It hit the bull's eye 20 feet away. He smirked at satisfaction that he hasn't gone off-target.

Light footsteps approached him. "What? Ignoring me? Does that actually mean _something_ happened?" Her tone was half-menacing and half-mocking. Clove scoffed after she spoke.

Cato took another spear and ignored her prattling. He aimed for the 30 foot target and hit the bull's eye again. It felt good to feel his strength and his aim perfectly executed. Cato moved toward the next station when Clove blocked his way—her arms crossed, and a brow raised.

He shook his head, and glared at her. "Fuck off."

Clove gave him a knowing smile and allowed him to pass. She followed his trail and stood next to him. "Just so you know, you better live up to expectations. You know that Snow doesn't like being made a fool of. So whatever you do, do it _convincingly_. I don't care how convincing. If you screw up, then _all of us_ are screwed. We're in the Games, Cato. It would be so easy to send a blizzard, a hurricane with the snap of _his_ fingers. Or worse, he could send us home—disgraced." She whispered menacingly.

"So what do you say I do? I am _acting _the part, aren't I?" His voice was low, but sizzling with irritation. _What's her fucking point?_

The small girl clicked her tongue. "You are. But _she's_ not." Clove pointed to the direction of the door. Blue eyes followed that direction and found Katniss entering the Training Room with Baker Boy.

The memory of last night appeared in his mind and found himself grinning inwardly at his personal victory.

He didn't look away from her until she noticed him. When she did, Cato winked. Katniss paused momentarily and scowled. She hurriedly brought her legs to the other corner of the room—the knots, the camouflage and the fire-making stations—away from him. He just snickered.

"Do you think this is funny? It's not. Do something about _that._ Do whatever. Play _that_ game—I don't care. If you don't get this fixed, Snow can just slit all our throats when we're sleeping."

Cato grunted in frustration. He knew she was right. Piercing the spear to the carpeted ground, he rushed towards Katniss.

* * *

_The nerve._

Katniss crossed her legs on the floor. She sat across Peeta and took several pieces of rope. She was just going to have to knot until she's calmed down. _Stupid, perverted, monstrous, annoying, irritating, smug, idiotic asshole. _Katniss repeated the mantra in her mind, but she tugged violently at the ropes. Her fingers were creating small and larger knots with a little unevenness because of her constant hard pulls.

_They didn't have to act when they're not in front of the cameras._ _Does the agreement have to extend beyond that? To even in front of the other tributes? If he thought that, then that's just…too much._

She pulled with all her strength, and before she knew it, the rope got torn in half. Katniss huffed and threw away the useless piece of rope. She reached for another one, but she found that she's done them all. She stood up to get some more, but Peeta waved his hand in front of her. "It's alright. I'll get some more. I'll just have to find the coach. It seems to have run out. Just stay there, alright? I know you're not well."

Katniss nodded in thanks and perused the mess of knots she's done. Her foot kicked one. The knots she did were terrible. The loops were either too big, or too small, the knots themselves being too tight or too loose. She reached down to get one of them, but before she knew it, an armed scooped around her waist and flung her over someone's shoulder.

Katniss screamed. The sound of her voice resonated in the room. Her head turned to look at her captor, but she can only see the back his head—it was Cato.

Footsteps rushed toward their direction. She saw Peeta ready to tackle him, but the other District 2 Tribute stuck a knife under his chin. Peeta didn't attempt to move. Coach Magnus was with Peeta, and he didn't seem to want to go near Cato. He stood behind the small girl. "W-where are both of y-you going?" The coach's voice squeaked.

Cato didn't turn his head and tightened his arm around her.

"We're cutting training."

* * *

R&R

Thanks everyone. :) 2/3 coming up!


	8. Blackout

2/3

* * *

Cato took her into elevator and they went up. She tried punching him in the back if he didn't answer her questions, but he threatened to squeeze her butt if she did. Katniss let her arms fall instead, and kept quiet. Wherever they were going, she wouldn't know about it until he puts her down.

The elevator ride was silent. All she could focus on was her anger, the red carpet, and his long, muscular legs that she wanted to cut off. To say that she was pissed was an understatement. Kidnapping people just because he wanted isn't reasonable. But then again, Cato _is_ unreasonable. But that's not a valid excuse.

_What did he want anyway?_

The sound of the doors closing interrupted her thoughts. Cato started walking into the corridors and stopped in front of a room. Katniss heard him fiddling with his card, but there was no beeping that followed when he swiped it.

"Shit." He grunted. Cato swiped his card several times, until there was a faint beep. The door finally opened.

He entered the room, and from what she guessed, this is District 2's suite. The familiar black carpet of the living room was the same in theirs. Cato slammed the door shut behind him and started moving to his right. Katniss felt his arm loosen on her thighs and she was ungracefully dropped on the couch. But before she landed on the pillows, she sprung herself with two arms and hit Cato on the chin with her head.

Her legs jumped away from the seat, scurrying to the door. She held the knob in her hands, but when she turned to open them, it wouldn't budge. Katniss pushed and continued pulling on the knob.

"What's the matter, _12_? You're scared of me?" He asked, his voice slithering into her ears.

Katniss turned around and Cato stood behind her. He put one hand on her arm and secured her in his grip. He dipped his head low, his breath tickling her cheeks, and blue eyes nailing her in place. She reached for the knob, but when she touched it, he put his palm on top of her hand. He squeezed hard to warn her but she continued to turn it. But to her dismay, the door was still locked.

_She was just going to have to talk her way out._

"Let go, asshole. It's not like I'm going anywhere." Katniss tried shaking off _both_ his hands.

Cato didn't listen and hardened his grip. "Yeah right. If I let you go, you would run out the door, bitch."

She banged her head once on the door, and tried to loosen his hold. "Stupid. I can't open the door now, can I? Did you see how hard it was to open your door?"

To her surprise, he did let her go and pushed her to the side.

Cato held the knob with his hands, and turned it like she did, but he seemed to be struggling with it as well. His look was one of confusion and frustration. He stopped, then he tried to switch on the lights, but the lights didn't. He ran to the table lamp, but it didn't light up as well. Cato stomped his foot. "Fuck!"

Something was wrong. Both of them looked at each other at the same time, but he spoke first.

"We're locked in."

* * *

He cursed under his breath. Cato couldn't believe it. They were locked in. _Again._

Cato faced her, but she was already seated on the couch. Katniss lazily took off her ponytail and let down her curls. Fingers combed through her hair as she let it fall on her shoulders. He may be watching her, but it absolutely infuriated him that she was so relaxed. "Why do you have time to do that kind of shit here instead of trying to figure out how we're gonna get out?" He asked her furiously.

She was putting her hair into different sections and crossed them with her fingers. "It would be futile doing anything else. You do know that this is how blackouts work?"

Cato shook with anger and stomped in her direction. _What did she think he was? Stupid?_ He grabbed both her hands and lifted her from the chair. His arms scooped her once again and carried her all the way into his bedroom even though she was struggling to get away. She kicked her legs in the air, her head was thrown back, and her torso pushed itself to be free.

Once he saw his bed, he kicked the door closed and threw her there. Cato watched her fume. It wasn't in the plan that there would be a fucking blackout, but since that they're already here he might as well talk to her about _their_ act.

"_Fine_. Since we can't do anything else, we'll just have to do it here." He said, his anger still evident in his voice..

He felt her eyes on him as he was taking off his shoes. Cato approached her, but she skidded all the way back to the headboard. She got a pen from his table, and put it in front of her defensively.

"What do you mean? Do _what_ exactly?" Katniss folded her knees to her chest.

Rolling his eyes, he approached anyway, and sat across her. "Put down the pen, stupid. We need to talk."

She eyed him suspiciously, but placed the pen at her side. Katniss crawled nearer until they were facing each other. She placed her legs tucked beneath her like Cato did. "Why? Are you going to give me my pin back? I did fulfill the end of my bargain." She asked him, a hint of desperation manifested in her voice.

Cato snorted. "Of course not. I can't give it back to you—at least not yet. People will think that you and I are having problems with our _relationship."_ He saw her make a face at his last word. That was a problem. His face grew serious.

"Katniss, you listen to me. You being my girlfriend is not a one-time deal. The Capitol bought it. Snow bought it. It's all a matter of maintaining that belief." Cato watched her as she shook her head. A vein popped at the back of his neck. He grabbed her wrist and pulled it roughly. "I'm serious. This is _serious_. You and I have to make them believe. We all die, Katniss, if we play Snow for a fool and he finds out. And to actually show you my point, he will kill your sister too."

Her knuckles turned white and he let her go. She rubbed it and looked away. It took a few moments until Katniss breathed deeply before replying. "So you're telling me, we have to continue whatever this is we're doing?"

Cato nodded. "Yes. But right now, you suck. We need to know each other to be comfortable—not that I need it—for ambush interviews. So Clove suggested that we play a game."

* * *

R&R

:) 3/3 Coming up!


	9. Games

Rewritten November 22, 2012. I decided to rewrite this to go with the plot. I just realized a lot when I keep on rereading this fic over and over again.

* * *

This is stupid.

Katniss sucked in her breath and prepared for the worst. After making her take off her shoes, Cato laid down the steps and the rules. Though she disagreed to actually play, he threatened to do _something else_ if she didn't go with it. A bone-rattling shudder crept into her skin when he didn't say what _that_ was. Conceding to whatever he had planned, they sat across each other, looking eye-to eye, as Cato said it should be. "You go first, _12_." He told her.

Rolling her eyes to being referred to as '12' yet again, Katniss asked. "Do you have siblings?"

"One." Cato responded but immediately shook his head. "Ask something about me, not my family or my friends—"

"Friends?" _Brutal_ Cato was hard to imagine having any. Not especially since his cocky personality _won the hearts_ of the general population, as well as his penchant for wielding weapons and flailing them around to execute a simulation of an inevitable murder or massacre.

His eyes hardened for a moment, but the answer to her question was a forceful pinch in the arm. For the nth time, she rubbed what he abused on her body. Angry, red marks were visibly streaked across her skin.

"Follow the rules. One question at a time." Cato raised a condescending brow and then smirked at her. "Now it's my turn. Have you had any boyfriends before?"

She scoffed. "No."

His expression was pensive, slightly unbelieving, but he gestured to her that regardless of his personal thoughts on the matter, her turn was next. A sigh escaped her lips. "Have you had any girlfriends before?"

"Girlfriends, no. Girls, a lot."

His response was perplexing and confusion flashed on her face. "Really?"

With that, she garnered another pinch on her arm. It wasn't as hard as the last one, but it hurt nonetheless. Katniss winced, the pain she experienced was both itchy and prickly at the same time.

Shaking his head in disbelief and a hint of amusement, he gave her a blatant response. "I don't do that boyfriend-girlfriend crap—but I did have a lot of sex." Cato told her as a matter-of-fact, almost cold and expressionless save for the slight linger of his gaze that burned for a second on her lips then shifting to meet her eyes.

Katniss grumbled curses under her breath when she saw him doing that. He merely cocked his head and continued with the onslaught of his inappropriate questions.

"Well, have you done _it_?"

With a dead pan expression in her face, she responded to him. "No."

Cato looked away and chuckled. A vein popped in her brain seeing and hearing him. It was annoying to her that he found her amusing, despite her doing absolutely _nothing_. She just let him be for a few minutes, watching him wheezing and unable to control his laughter until his sanity returned to clear his obviously deranged mind before she asked him another question.

"What do you do in your free time aside from _that_?"

"T-training." He was still clearly entertained by this, his words were barely pronounced well in between laughs. After a few seconds of silence on her part, Cato geared his attention to her. "Seriously, come on. I just can't believe that a prude like you still exists. No boyfriends?"

And this time, Katniss felt her blood boil. But instead of pinching like he does, she slapped his face—hard.

Cato seemed surprised that he was hit. "What the hell?!"

Katniss slapped him again. "It's none of your business."

* * *

Cato snickered at his game partner's dilemma of expressing herself when it comes to matters of the opposite sex. He just found out that for one, she hasn't had any boyfriends, she was a virgin, and the only guys she ever talked to was Baker Boy and a best friend named Gale. He had fun pushing her buttons. Almost too much that he was entertaining the idea of taking advantage of that.

"How many of your girls have you kissed?" It was her turn again. Though she would probably pick suicide over admitting that she felt a tad embarrassed and uncomfortable, she seemed like a tomato now after half an hour of questions and hits.

"On the mouth?" He asked her with a glint. But in the most subtle way, she had cringed in utter disgust at what he said. Cato couldn't help but smile. "I don't know. Maybe a quarter of them?"

Cato observed the girl in front of him.

With strained muscles, Katniss stretched her arms and leaned back. Her legs were still tucked under her, yet her torso was positioned diagonally, supported by her hands placed flat on the bed. Her hair gathered behind her, brushing past her shoulders and forming a rain of brown tendrils hanging from her head.

Katniss seemed that she couldn't care less about what his actual answer was, but she was completely oblivious that he followed every rise of the temperature of her cheeks, and every huff of breath she took. It wasn't difficult to see that with cleaning up, she had the potential to be stunning. Even though _she said_ she didn't have any boyfriends, and was still a virgin, she did know how to kiss a boy—and passionately at that.

Cato smirked at her. He just had the best question forming in his head.

"Am I your first kiss?"

Katniss sat up straight at his question. The slight quiver of her lips and the pale appearance of her cheeks gave him the answer already he knew. But when she opened her mouth, she didn't give him the truth. "No."

_Lie._Cato pinched her on her other arm particularly hard.

A soft whimper came out of her as she rubbed the spot profusely. "I wasn't lying."

He pinched her again, and her fingers continued to soothe the reddened areas. "You're lying." He grinned.

"I'm not." She was so red that Cato couldn't help pinch her cheeks as punishment for being a liar, albeit softer this time. Katniss slapped his hands repetitively away from her face, and she gasped at a sudden realization.

She broke a rule.

* * *

"I dare you to stay still."

Cato smiled at her deviously.

He inched towards her like a cautious predator. With his movement, Katniss moved, centimeter by the centimeter until her back was at the headboard. She was trapped when Cato was already at her folded legs, and it didn't stop him from moving his face forward. Almost announcing victory, she suddenly slipped her body down onto the bed, away from the proximity of his face in a futile defense.

_Bad move,_he thought, as he leaned his body down on top of her. As it stood, Katniss was beneath him, his arms and legs supporting his weight. It was an idiotic move what she did, but not that he's complaining in the predicament she put herself in.

"I dare you not to make a sound."

He paused for a second to look at her confused expression. And she didn't utter a single word. _He won't make it so easy for her. _

Seizing the opportunity, Cato dipped his head and sucked the soft, exposed flesh of her neck. His lips came in contact with her sweet skin, and relished the taste on his tongue when he gave her marks all over the smooth expanse. Gentle teeth tugged tortuously light, and her breathing became uneven—but it was not the boisterous reaction he expected.

Cato took the challenge and lowered his body over hers. Placing his arms around her, he continued his ministrations, kissing and licking where he felt she was weak enough to give him what he wanted to hear. His lips explored her throat, stopping where her neck and shoulder met. Cato suckled, his teeth tickling the sensitive flesh.

And that was when he heard it—a loud gasp that sent a shiver to his spine.

Cato felt small hands on his shoulders as his mouth went up to her jaw. He pressed down on her body, her chest heaving against his, breathing heavily.

"I dare you to touch me."

Suddenly, her hands moved away in panic from his shoulders and back to her sides. He grinned. _This was way too easy. _

"Hey Katniss, are you sure you want to keep doing my dares?"

The girl beneath him glared. "You're unfair."

"I'm not being unfair. The objective is to get comfortable."

Katniss huffed, a spark of anger manifesting itself in her eyes. "I don't feel comfortable. You're too heavy." With closed fists, she tried to push him off. Her fight was infuriatingly useless, but cute in a sense.

Cato merely lifted himself momentarily, and nudged her legs apart with his knees. She panicked and tried to snap them shut, lifting herself with her elbows in protest. But Cato pushed her gently down on the bed, his other hand holding down her hip, his face was serious. "I dare you to snap them shut."

He heard her hitch her breath as he moved down on her, his mouth closing in. In a split second, Cato captured her lips and slipped his tongue into the wet cavern. Katniss made a futile attempt to sink her head further into the soft mattress, but Cato followed and gave her a bruising kiss. Mewling at his force, her head was buried into the softness of the bedding, his arms around her yet again.

He rested himself between her legs, his one hand moving to the back of her neck, and the other at the zipper of her blouse. His torso pressed down against hers, his hips keeping her in place. He pulled the opening agonizingly slow as his kiss became more passionate. He moved his mouth to her chin, and pulled himself back to see her.

Her lips and neck had marks of his doing, and her cheeks were flushed with color, even more than last night's. She seemed to look at him aroused, flustered, and angry all at the same time. His blue eyes trailed down, and watched the line of cleavage accentuating the swell of her bosom. Katniss cursed him and pushed, but Cato put his hands on her wrists, freezing them in place at her shoulders.

"Get off!"

He bore his eyes into hers. "I dare you to _not_ say my name."

Cato kissed her again, his hands cupping her breasts, stroking and kneading them as gently. He moved one hand at her back, unhooking her bra. Katniss moaned at his mouth and at his bare touch, her breathing pausing when he brushed the delicate tips. His thumbs circled her nipples in slow, sensuous strokes and Katniss involuntarily arched her body towards him.

Cato groaned when his groin felt the heat of her core.

His mouth travelled down from her lips to her chest, kissing the top of her breasts, before devouring the sensitive bundle of nerves—sucking and licking as he massaged the other. Cato heard her moans echo in the room, and felt himself become harder than he already was.

He moved his legs to her side, and let his hand travel down. His lips were still teasing the responsive tips as he let his fingers cup her untouched center. Katniss squealed in surprise, and she continued to whimper as he moved his digits to find her pearl. Cato reveled in her wetness, aching and begging to be touched. Fingers moved up and down in its own pace, building around the heat that permeated from her innocent body.

With hungry lips still _devouring_ the pink petals of her chest, Katniss thrashed wildly against him when he hastened his pace between her legs. Her lips below were shaking and convulsing against his pressure, her breathing becoming more erratic and ragged.

_She was close._

Cato removed his lips from her bosom and focused on her need. He rubbed her with increasing and incessant speed, her mewls becoming louder as she neared to her release. His mouth found hers yet again, moving passionately and relentlessly on her quivering, hesitant lips.

It was only when a foreign taste in his tongue that made him pull back from the kiss—the former sweetness was replaced with the saltiness of tears.

_She was_ c_rying?_

The realization came too late when he pushed his fingers down in a long and heavy stroke, and she cried out in climax. Cato held her body as she trembled in his arms, all her moans and whimpers muffled out in her fatigue, her nails weakly embedded into his skin. He held her tight, feeling her body shudder in the waves of explosion that followed rattling her body. And yet, he wasn't able to ignore the dampness of her cheeks against his own.

A tug of conscience hit him at the stomach.

Alarmed, he attempted to search for her eyes. He wasn't sure what exactly he was looking for, but what lay beneath him was a face with eyes shut, glistening tears trailing down the smooth skin. Katniss looked at him beneath her long eyelashes—her eyes remained shockingly cold in color, and yet within them was an innocence that wasn't prepared for anything like this. He saw miserable resentment, an indignant denial that was clouded with sadness.

It was a vision of complicated emotions. And the arousal that he felt was slowly fleeting away by the influx of an unfamiliar sentiment—a hint of guilt.

Rolling over, Cato brought her with him, her head resting on his shoulder. The steady breath on his neck told him that she was drained of all energy and of all fight. Shaky, small fists pounded feebly into his chest.

"I hate you." She whispered, deprived of all its conviction.

He held her closer in response, his palm gently squeezing her bare waist. Cato buried his nose in her hair and murmured into her ear. "Not _me_, 12. What you hate is what _I _made you feel."

He wasn't sure if she was listening, but the silence ensued until his mind drifted into sleep.

* * *

What do you think?


	10. Forced Choice

I am so sorry. My schedule was so hectic that I got sick and could barely squeeze in time to sleep. I just want to say first and foremost, thank you to everyone who have left comments and those who put me in their alerts or on favorites. They've motivated me to think and write about this fic. Anyways, here's chapter 10!

* * *

"So, how was your _talk_?"

Cato shrugged and walked past his partner. He wasn't going to give anything away. People can just think all they want about what _they_ did. He flexed his arms over his head and settled them crossed at his chest. Clove followed him into the dining hall, her steps he could barely hear.

Yesterday was _good._

His _tussle_ with Katniss was one of the hottest experiences he ever had. He has been giving her a lot of firsts in a matter of a few days. Cato could still feel her soft, apple-sized breasts in his palms, her petal-like lips and nipples on his mouth, and her hot, delicate center wrapping around his fingers. She was so sensitive and so responsive with his touch—no matter how much she _despised_ him.

He envisioned her naked body in his arms when he woke up—her loose curls, her flushed cheeks, her bosom pressed against his chest. In the air-conditioned room, he just got so hard. She was warm, scorching even, and she wasn't wearing anything. It would just be so easy to take her then and there in his bed. She would be at his mercy.

He had thought then of how small her body was—her lithe legs and arms, her tiny waist, and her petite stature. Maybe he found her face attractive a little—no, maybe _a lot_. So yeah, maybe he was staring too long, but she was sharing _his pillow…_so technically, it was _her fault._

A gnawing pain crawled up at his side when small fingers pinched him at his rib.

"Fuck, Clove! What the hell?!" He screamed. The tributes seated at the tables shot their heads up at his direction.

Clove looked at them and they immediately bowed their heads or frantically avoided her gaze. His partner turned to him, satisfied with herself. "Now I got your attention?"

Cato glowered at her.

He rubbed his sore rib. He actually forgot about falling off the bed. The injury he got when Katniss woke up was because of her foot making contact with his stomach and he didn't realize he was at the edge. The side of his body slammed on to the floor and he just had memories of her screaming and scurrying away and jumping into her clothes—with _his training shirt_ covering her body.

"Oh you know what I'm asking. I'm asking if all that _drama_ I had to endure with Baker Boy yesterday was all worth it. A knife pointed at his jugular didn't really convince him to lay off your case, Cato. He was fucking preaching to me about virtue and righteousness—not that there's any virtue to talk about _anymore,_ is there?" She scoffed.

"Well if you're making me spill about yesterday, let's just say she and I did _talk_."

_Bitch._

Cato left her and made a beeline toward the buffet table.

He smelled freshly-baked tarts and bacon when a familiar earthy, floral scent filled his senses.

Katniss was here.

* * *

There were no talks of the all-day blackout yesterday. Everybody seemed to focus on the fact that she and Cato "cut" training.

Haymitch patted her on the back when she left the hotel room. Effie and the stylists got stupidly teary-eyed and congratulated her with her relationship with Cato. She tried her best to smile at their remarks and their "support" but it was so tiring to lie like this. She didn't think that there were any repercussions to her decision when she kissed him on television—and now, _a lot _had happened.

Katniss' legs shuddered as she walked into the hall. She just knew people would be staring and talking about her again. Never before did she give a thought about what they think, but at this point during the Games, and all these _things_ happening, she wasn't sure if she did want to know what goes through their mind.

She tugged at the loose garment she was wearing and huffed. The spare training uniform she had was lost and the only thing she had was Cato's shirt. She could've just thought straight before rushing out of his room. By the time she realized it, she was going up to her suite and she wouldn't dare go back. She can't risk a repeat of yesterday.

Absent-mindedly, she was lost in her thoughts as large arms circled around her waist.

_Cato._

Mustering up a sufficient amount of strength, she shoved his hands off of her and walked away. But he pulled her arm to his chest, just close enough for him to whisper. "We've discussed about this. Wanna _talk_ again?"

Katniss saw an evil glimmer in his eyes. She knew what he meant.

Cato grinned at her unreadable expression and slowly moved his face forward. She merely held her breath and let his lips glide across her cheek. Her heart was beating really fast. It was only a second before he let her go and whispered again, albeit with a commanding tone. "Sit with me."

_Screw him. _Her brows furrowed as he walked away. She wasn't going anywhere but her table. It was bad enough that he had to do this here. Furiously, she got eggs, waffles and some meat on her plate and deliberately passed over his chair and went directly to District 12's. She was going to eat in peace. She wasn't going to have her appetite ruined just because of District 1 and 2. She _is_ going to enjoy her meal.

It seemed minutes before she swallowed a bite of the waffles. Katniss savored the sweet syrup on the perfectly-baked bread. It was both crunchy and soft at the same time. The eggs were scrambled and she hadn't eaten it so soft and creamy—and the meat, it was good, but she liked it the least. She preferred the ones she hunted back home.

Light fingertips touched her shoulder. "Babe."

She cringed inwardly at the voice and at the pet name. Katniss didn't even look up to know who it was. _Again._

"Go away." She said to him softly without meeting his eyes.

Katniss heard a chair being roughly pulled out and Cato sat beside her, his plate untouched. She took another bite into her bacon, but his hand pulled at her wrist. Instead of the meat going into her direction, her fork went into his mouth.

She watched him devour the strip slowly, holding on to her wrist as he removed the bacon from the tines with his teeth. Cato watched her looking at him, and from what she surmised, he was amused. She wanted to say something to wipe that arrogant face that he's giving but she bit her lip in trying to prevent anything from going out of her mouth that will get them both in trouble.

Once she was sure he got the whole thing, Katniss swatted away his hands and dropped the utensil on her plate. She could see his knuckles turning white at her display of attitude. Cato bridged the gap between them and nudged her arm.

"Looks like we need to work out some sort of arrangement to make you fulfill your end of what we _talked_ about." He told her, his mouth too close for her liking.

Before she got to reply, Cato grabbed the loose fabric on her back and pulled her to her feet. He snaked his fingers around her palm and led her away from the dining hall. She was feeling dread all over again. His grip was tight so she couldn't just slip off her hand.

Taking her out of the hall, Cato pushed her into a far corner.

* * *

"What's with all this bullshit you're giving me?" Cato seethed. He put some space between them, but it was still close nevertheless.

His eyes roamed her face and all he can see was a mixture of anger and confusion. He curled his fingers into a fist and punched the wall at the side of her cheek. The concrete slightly crumbled on his knuckles, the force of the punch reverberating through his arm. Cato drew closer to her and felt small palms pressed on his chest, keeping him relatively farther where he intended to be.

He stared into her gray eyes and she looked like her old self again—stupidly defiant. "You can't just expect me to come on to you every time." Her whisper was soft, but it didn't escape his attention that she sneered.

Cato raised an eyebrow and smirked. "That's a lame excuse, 12. We had no problems on you _coming on me_ yesterday now did we?" He could feel the corner of his lips curving into his most seductive smile.

The girl with him was all at once obviously uncomfortable, embarrassed and appalled. Her whole face was burning red. She wasn't even looking at him anymore, but then, Katniss surprised him when she raised her head and met his gaze—her expression dead serious.

"You probably hit your head on the floor so hard this morning that you forgot I kicked your _perversion _off of me."

Cato just laughed at her response. Oh, he wouldn't forget that—not that, not all the ignoring this morning. He put his arms crossed at his chest, his face immediately expressionless.

"You and I have sponsors because we made a deal. Whether or not you want to, you have to do your end of the bargain. If not, it's either we both die here, or all of us will suffer in the Games, or worse than that, we'll go home as losers to our Districts. But knowing Snow, he'll kill you and I'll be shamed forever for being an expelled tribute."

He didn't mean to say all those things. With her being like this, she will most likely retain her stance to _not_ participate in their little charade. _Good for him._ He was tempted to crack up over her prudishness.

To his anticipation, Katniss shook her head. "No. Not again. No."

Cato took his cue and leaned forward. "I knew you were going to say that. Now that you've rejected me for the hundredth time, I think we should play another game to get you motivated to do your part."

It was her turn to cross her arms. Katniss tilted her chin in her defiant attitude. Her back was stuck on to the wall as she remained firm. But he knew she was still listening so he continued to speak.

He dipped his head low and pressed the tip of his nose against hers. "There's only one rule and one consequence if you don't comply with that rule." Cato whispered, his breath tickling her lips. He didn't fail to notice the trail of goose bumps on her arms.

"Rule: Every time you see me, you have to kiss me. And every time I come to you, you need to stop acting like a frigid bitch." Cato watched her reaction, and he saw her shake her head again. He merely grinned. His hand travelled from the nape of her neck and settled on the side of her face, cupping her soft cheek. Cato looked directly into her gray orbs with all the desire he could muster.

"And as a consequence for not following that simple rule, you are going to have sex with me."

* * *

What do you think, people? R&R please! :)


	11. Trouble

Hi guys! I am so, so, sorry for not updating. I've been so caught up with school work that it threw me into a cycle of sleepless nights, falling ill, and recovery. Thank you so much for reviews, follows, and favorites though I haven't updated in a while. But here it is! Hope you're still reading.

Warning: A bit of violence at the end.

* * *

"And as a consequence for not following that simple rule, you are going to have sex with me."

Calluses ran through her cheek as the pads of his fingers caressed the soft skin. Cato tucked a stray curl behind her right ear and tilted her chin so their eyes would meet. Gray clashed with blue as he came closer to her lips, the tips of their noses pressed against each other. Katniss felt his lashes graze her as his face was obviously intent on invading her already violated personal space.

Forming in the middle of her face was a look of revulsion made evident by her lack of expression. Last night was an accident she shouldn't have let herself be bullied into. She was nailed to the bed, tangled in the sheets, and taken advantage of by a boy she undoubtedly hates. Probably she wasn't unwilling, but she wasn't absolutely willing either. Perhaps those were strong words but to make it clear, she still despised him and because of that she could never _ever_ be _willing_ last night.

And it didn't help that he was being aggressive._ Again_. Like when they first met, at the parade, at training, at the interviews, last night, and this morning. Grabbing his collar, Katniss could only think of one move that would liberate her from the situation she was in—pulling him downward so fast so the cause of her problems can learn its lesson.

"Bitch!"

Cato was on his knees from the pain, hissing with eyes visible only in slits. Neck up he was burning red and it reminded her of the color her dress changed into when she _kissed_ him on stage during his interview because he was planning to use her decision-making dilemma to his unfair advantage.

He deserved so much more than this. Putting up with his constant tendencies of being a jerk was one reason enough.

Clutching his groin, Cato cursed under his breath—words that were vulgar enough to be said the same of his personality. Katniss watched beads of sweat forming on his skin as step by step she backed away to the nearest elevator. Without a word, she left him huffing and staggering to get up.

She pressed the button incessantly, her thumb reflecting on her desire to speed things up just to get away. Heavy steps were coming towards her, his stride barely indicating that he was kneed in between his legs. Her heart was thumping loudly in her chest in anger and unexpressed physical aggression.

As the doors opened, a strong force shoved her in. She stumbled through the carpeted floor but the pressure on her back wasn't too strong to throw her hard on to the wall. Cato stood at the entrance with his jaw clenched in anger. He stared her down like a predator, his eyes gleaming with threat. He spread out his arms at the sides of the door, the veins on his arms protruding on the flexed muscles.

He gritted his teeth. "What the hell was _that_?"

The weight of her body shifted from one leg to the other. "You were crossing the line and you know what I did. I don't need anyone bullying me."

Cato snorted. "B-bullying? Are you saying I forced you to do these things _we've_ been doing? In case you haven't noticed you never stopped _me_." His bluntness tingled a nerve.

A tiny bit of her fell at the truth and felt warmth creeping on her cheeks. She might have never said explicitly that she wanted him to halt everything he was doing but it was clear she didn't like him _at all_. And the way he was looking at her now made her feel more uneasy and light-headed…in a bad way. The intense azure of his eyes made her feel goose bumps all over.

It was only when the sudden pushing movement of his hands against the steel doors that jolted her back to reality. She watched him smirk when he saw her jump in place.

Katniss stood up straight and glared but it did nothing but incite a throaty—albeit dark—chuckle from Cato.

She might have been too focused on his adam's apple when he laughed but the annoying sound grated on her nerves. Out from her mouth was the one thing she knew would shut him up.

"I think that we should end _whatever_ we're doing."

Cato raised his eyebrows in fake surprise. "Oh you mean you want to break up?"

Her lips formed a straight line while his formed a cheshire grin.

No sense came into her head as his feet crossed the distance between them and Cato crashed his mouth on hers. His hands were unexpectedly gentle on the sides of her face, and so were his lips that brushed hers a bit too tender than he usually does it. She lost her breath—and her mind—for a few seconds before he pulled away.

"No, you don't. See you later, _babe_."

Cato smacked her for one last time before he turned on his heel and let the elevator take her up.

* * *

The sunset looked foreign to Katniss as she sat with her legs tucked under her. She spent the whole day on the roof and thankfully, she did not come across anyone. Cato's penchant for being a pain in anyone's ass is rubbing off on her, and here she was—cutting training.

Blowing out air, she breathed deeply and let herself think. She was preoccupied with this deal she made and all hell just broke loose. And Cato was just so…mercurial.

Breaking off their fake relationship might have been a bad decision, but he was being too hasty. His method of 'getting comfortable' was _too comfortable_ for her liking. Waking up naked to an equally naked person with whom she had a fake relationship with, and whom she didn't know personally a week ago was like having a bucket of ice shoved in her face.

The _good_ side, however, was that he was holding up his end of the deal. Perhaps she was the one being a pain in his ass but, it was difficult for her to _pretend_. She was frank and maybe offensive at times, but that was _her_.

What they needed was boundaries. The sick Capitol can have their show of a fraud romance, but she was not going to great lengths to make them believe their stupid love story. They didn't need to cross any more lines recklessly than they already have.

Katniss looked up into the orange-purple hue of the sky and lifted herself off the floor. She and he are going to need to talk, and Haymitch should be there so everything remains..._safe_.

As she readied herself to leave, from her peripheral line of vision, she saw something move.

* * *

"Why, hello there."

It was that boy from District 1.

The familiar sinister smile put her on guard. Suddenly, Cato's arrogant smirk seemed a lot friendlier and less repulsive. Malice pierced through his eyes and the unsettling feeling she got didn't sit with her so well. It was that feeling of passing by a group of drunk men in a dark street, or the feeling of hunting with someone else other than Gale.

Her fingers curled into a tight fist, feet still moving cautiously towards the only means of escape.

"Woah, woah, woah. You don't intend to leave now, do you, 12?" He stepped way too close and grabbed her wrist.

Turning her hand abruptly, she pulled free of his grip and pushed him as far as she could. "I was. And get away from me, or I'll—"

Marvel interrupted with a loud snicker. "Or you'll what exactly? Tell Cato? Or Baker Boy? Aren't you the princess."

Rolling her eyes, she made a beeline for the elevator and didn't look back. She took a large intake of air, just realizing that she was holding her breath. Her heart thumped so hard that she can hear it loud enough through her ears. The palms of her hands began to sweat and shake when her finger pressed the button.

Something was wrong. Her stomach twitched and turned at the reality that she was unreasonably nervous at being here at the roof with Marvel. It reminded her of the times when Gale warned her of the woods suddenly becoming quiet, and the only thing to be trusted is intuition because it dictates the danger of a lurking beast.

Then she heard his voice behind her.

"Avoiding me, aren't you? Trying to guess why I'm here?"

Katniss crossed her arms and faced him.

"Not going to answer? Fine. I'll tell you," Marvel moved closer, and she stepped back. "No need to play hard to get. I heard you and Cato talk a while ago." He inched closer and muttered. "Such kinky games. Just a few days with him and so much _action_."

She winced at his last word.

"There's no use in denying, 12. I'm not here to judge nor poke fun with your little recreational activities with Cato." Marvel traced the curve of her elbow with one finger and Katniss slapped it away. "Hmm. Feisty." He licked his lips perversely. "So, let's cut to the chase. I just want a piece of the action."

Shaking her head, Katniss felt deaf at what she heard. "What?"

Marvel blurted a crazed laughter but he grew serious when he spoke. "Playing innocent I see, but that doesn't work. To make you understand, I'll just tell you again: I'll save you last in the games in exchange for a piece of the action Cato's getting." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Katniss mustered up all her strength in her hand and slapped Marvel so hard his head was thrown to the direction of her force. "How dare you."

She watched his hand go into reflex on his ruddy cheek, but was taken aback when he recovered and his fist was buried into her stomach.

Her vision turned black for a second when a loud gasp came out from her and she fell to her feet. The oxygen in her lungs ran out and she couldn't breathe at the sudden impact. Before she knew it, her cheeks were wet with tears spontaneously pouring down because of the excruciating pain. Her head felt dizzy and equally lacking of air. She coughed loudly, the sound echoing in the empty roof.

Marvel kneeled in front of her, grabbed a fistful of her locks and whispered into her ear.

"You don't get to hit me like that and get away with it."

* * *

Honestly, I find Marvel's smile scarier than his status as a Career. So, how was it?

Please R&R! :)


	12. Awkward Realizations

Rewritten 11/9/12. Because I reread it and I wanted to slap myself for writing while high on sugar. Never, ever, ever again. Oh dear heavens, I am so sorry. Gargh.

* * *

It boggled his mind why he was rushing speedily across the numerous steps, but something just kept telling him to shut the fuck up and run like his life depended on it. On the countless doors he passed, he knew what floor he was in and how many floors more until he reached the roof. There were 20 floors of hotel rooms and 3 floors for the basement, each floor having 2 flights of stairs to get to the other. From the third basement of the hotel which was the training room to the ground floor, it took 6 flights of stairs, and 40 more to reach his destination.

His legs were moving in such speed and ferocity that the multiple flights of stairs were merely leaps apart. Cato ran aimlessly when he threw Baker Boy aside. He didn't have a damn clue where she could be. It was only until his gut pushed him to sprint to the nearest fire exit and took the long way up.

Cato breathed deeply.

Perspiration seeped into the collar of his shirt but he kept on going. This was more intense of a workout than their actual training for the games. This was agility and speed, and yet this isn't just an exercise—this time he felt that he had a goal more than just getting to the finish line.

He just knew.

He just knew that if he didn't get their soon, something horrible will happen to Katniss.

* * *

"You don't get to hit me like that and get away with it."

His fingers grew tighter at the chunk of hair in his hand. Katniss felt her scalp being pulled at as he set her on her feet and yanked her forward. "Just because you're a girl doesn't mean I would go easy on you." His words slithered into her ear.

She held tightly on his wrist and instinctively sunk her nails into his skin and clawed with all her strength. His vehement screams filled her senses and despite being still sore at the stomach, she punched him at the side of his head and kneed him to the floor.

Her feet scurried away, but a strong grip pulled her downward.

Katniss shouted in frustration as she squirmed and fought off Marvel. Her physical strength was almost exhausted and she didn't think she would have enough to continue doing this. But she wasn't going to lose fight. This was probably the most deranged Career she has ever seen and they were in the same Hunger Games. All Careers were killers and maniacs for blood, but not one of them were aroused for beating up people. Not even Cato.

Marvel inched closer and whispered playfully, "Stop fighting."

Her desire to shoot him with an arrow now equals the obsession of the Careers to become Victor. What she learned from watching all those Games from before taught her one thing: exploit all the vulnerabilities of your opponent in all circumstances that present such opportunity. And one thing was vulnerable right now, conveniently placed at the side of her cheek—Marvel's ear.

Katniss did what a captured wild animal would do to break free: she bit hard until she tasted the blood in her mouth.

He wailed and he wailed and tried to pull himself away. And as soon as he was able to separate himself, Katniss felt a hard hit on her face and everything just faded from her sight. She only heard a faint, familiar, but frantic voice echoing in the air until she saw nothing but darkness.

"Katniss!"

* * *

The bolted door hung unevenly from its hinges. Cato could hear the creaking of the broken entry way as the numbness of his pained shoulder spread across the blades on his back. Panic was uncharacteristically flowing through his veins.

A thick blanket of blood covered her face and her mop of messy, disheveled curls. Katniss lay on the concrete floor—unconscious and unmoving with her pale lips and bruised face. His sense of hearing suddenly turned mute and his vision lacked any peripheral line of sight. Cato's blue eyes drenched in the body of Katniss, bloodied and battered on cold ground.

His icy gaze followed the movement of Marvel as he stood up from her body. Marvel was spitting nonsense—he was saying all these words that he couldn't hear. All he could see was the blood on his knuckles, the sway of his fingers, and the deep ruby color of her blood caked into his hands.

Marvel stood in front of him now, his hands waving in mock surrender as if everything was just a bad, lame joke.

But it wasn't.

Cato lifted him in the air with his hands tightly wrapped on his neck. The fragile bones were bending against his strength and he could easily crush them—he's done it before. He could hear him choke, lacking air, as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Crouching down, he brought Marvel head first to the floor and hovered over him.

"C-cato! Don't! C-come on. I was just having a little fun."

He sat on his hips and cracked his knuckles. The urge to kill was strong. Marvel continued to cough and pleaded for him to stop. If these were in the Games, he might have laughed because it looked pathetic and weak. But the blood on Marvel's hands blinded him. It enraged and sickened him knowing whose it was.

Cato sneered.

The first hit was the solar plexus, then his liver, then his ribs. A symphony of cracking bones and moans from Marvel provoked a stream of hard, precise jabs. His injuries will all be hidden from the public. Everything will be covered by his shirt and his pants. The bruises and cuts will be seen when he looks in the mirror but the damage will all be internal. He would violently bleed inside until he won't be able to walk nor breathe. No ointment can reach the pain Marvel was about to endure.

He can no longer train, nor can he get a high score for sponsors.

In Cato's eyes, there is no male tribute from District 1. Marvel's as good as garbage.

And once the countdown reaches zero, Marvel will be the first to die.

* * *

She woke up screaming.

Her gray eyes were swollen with streaks of tears dripping from her cheeks. Katniss couldn't breathe. Everything came to her in flashes of struggle on the hotel roof and then she can't remember anything else but Marvel on top of her. _Oh God._

The corners of her eyes were becoming blurry until the room became distorted. Escaping from her lips was a whimper she felt she has been holding back and she wasn't able to control her sobs. Tears formed a curtain in her vision and every breath she took became a sharp needle of pain in her chest.

"Katniss?" A soft voice called her name.

A door slammed and she turned to the sudden intrusion, unconsciously clutching the sheet closer to her naked body.

Confused, she watched Cato sit beside her and cupped her face. Plastered on him were the same eyes that always tried to scare or annoy people, but this time she didn't know how she felt when she saw them. His thumbs wiped away her tears as he looked on with what looks like concern. "Are you alright? Why did you scream?"

Her brows crinkled in the middle of her face and Katniss couldn't help but cry.

She didn't care that she looked weak right now. Even in front of _him._ Why was he even here? How did she even get to his room? He didn't have to see any of it. Anyone should shouldn't have seen it-anything of what happened to her.

Warmth enveloped Katniss when strong arms pulled her into an embrace. There was no strength to resist, no words that squeaked any objection. The heat of his body comforted her barely clothed form. She was pressed against his chest and her eardrums could pick up the sound of his steady heartbeat. The pulsating rhythm had pounded softly, flowing through to her senses to try and calm her and make her focus on the cold that slowly left her body.

Her chin rested awkwardly on his shoulder when she heard him heave a sigh. "Hey. Stop crying. I came just in time." Cato struggled to say these encouraging words. They rolled out of his mouth like they were foreign from being said.

Grabbing his biceps, it was she who pulled away. Dazed, she asked with her voice in a tone just above a whisper. "W-what? I don't understand."

Katniss leaned forward too fast and didn't notice the blanket falling from her arms. Cato rushed and put some distance between them to fix the sheet, immediately covering her chest. His fingers were being careful not to touch her more than necessary.

And yet, Katniss didn't even notice what had transpired. She _needed_ to know what happened. She had to know the truth.

* * *

It was the first time he was seeing someone so distraught and broken. The bloodcurdling scream still rang in his ears and it shook him to every bone in his body. Cato stopped thinking at that point and just wore a pair of boxers and got out of the shower. Perhaps he was turned on by the fact that Katniss was in his bed _again_, but seeing her look scared and hurt tugged at his _emotions—_if anyone could call it that.

Okay, maybe he was a bit worried—no, maybe _a lot_. He couldn't forget how his heart dropped when he got to the roof. _And all that blood and bruises that covered her face and body._

"W-what? I don't understand." She asked him, her voice pleading for an answer.

Cato looked away. Her gray-cerulean eyes twitched some sort of reaction in his stomach so he averted from her face and let his gaze trail on her bare skin. He traced the line of her neck, her shoulders, then her collar bone, and stopped on her chest. It was inappropriate to notice the smooth olive skin with the sheet hung dangerously low to even cover her, especially at this time.

He cleared his throat and fumbled with the blanket to make her look like _not_ a distraction. Pulling his hands away, he found his voice to speak.

"When I found you, you were unconscious. There was a lot of blood and bruises on your face, and Marvel he—his hands had blood on them, they were yours." He put a hand on her shoulder. "I barged in, he was on you, but Marvel hasn't done anything to you…at least not yet."

She grimaced, but he was relieved that she instantly looked calmer.

"Where is he?"

Cato shrugged. "He won't be bothering anyone anymore. Let's just say he got what he deserved _and more._" If injuring his vital organs and throwing him over several flights of stairs could be described as 'more'. What he deserved to be was dead—and that was going to happen soon enough.

Katniss nodded in understanding and placed her palms on her lap. She seemed nervous as she bit her lip. "You found me. How?"

Sensing himself smirk, he gave her an answer in his usual arrogance. "Instinct." Cato caught her smile a bit but she frowned at the second he noticed.

She raised her head to look him in the eye, her face devoid of any emotion. "Why?"

Cato sat up.

He didn't know. He didn't understand why he felt like he needed to find her, aside from the reason being he hasn't seen her since breakfast. A voice echoed in his head that got him all weirded out and bothered. After training, he just _had to_ ask Baker Boy, then his legs just kinda knew where to go.

They remained silent for a few minutes just staring at each other, and Katniss remained still when he didn't even blink. It was then that he had a good look of her face. Her round eyes were clouded with wonder and disorientation that made them doe-like, just barely hidden in long, curly eyelashes. And her lips were luscious and plump—a dark cherry pink that made him lick his own. He only realized that he was staring for so long when she shifted in place.

Sensing that perhaps she needed some time alone, Cato stood up to leave. She probably didn't have the energy to up with him. "Get some sleep. Your body should at least be sore."

When she didn't respond, he turned to walk away. Taking a few steps, he looked back.

Cato faced her again and told her with a straight face. "Uh...I put some meds on your injuries. I know you mind being naked, but I just had to make sure there were none left so I had to bathe you too. You should be thanking me, 12." He shook off the embarrassing confession and led himself to the door.

She had nodded silently, maybe it was in thanks, maybe it was in understanding, but he couldn't care less. Talking tomorrow would be best. His head shot up in her direction and an instinctive protectiveness had peaked in his system. With her head hung low, it was pretty obvious she was still thinking about it, and it didn't help that the still visible cuts and bruises despite the healing ointment were readily seen on her fingers and her hands with which she used to fight back.

He must admit to himself that this was her lowest point that he has seen of her, and it affected him so much that she was vulnerable. When he first met her, she seemed like a runt—a weakling. And then things just got so crazy that he got forced to get to know her. Katniss was strong emotionally and physically. When she threw punches, it hurt where she hit, but obviously not as strong as he does it—and Marvel can attest to that.

It mattered at that moment that he was debating when last night she could barely stand him kissing her, let alone _touching_ her.

His bare feet moved on its own volition to the opposite side of the room. Reason told him not to, and yet, the immediate response of his body just went on its way beside her. Cato came directly to the empty side of the bed and went under the covers. Placing a pillow between them, he carefully positioned himself at his side, facing the wall and closed his eyes, just hoping that there would be no screaming tonight and no kicking him off the bed in the morning.

It was bizarre that he never felt more awkward, terrified, and smug—but at ease—all at the same time.

* * *

Nothing had happened. _Nothing._

_I_t had been a nightmare storming in her mind and her dream, yet now, only a wisp of air had blown itself out of her lips in relief. She had equally nothing to say. Now she has felt the blood streaming through her veins and the horrible thoughts slip away. Even the pain that she had incurred in fighting Marvel felt numb. The cuts were clotting, and the bruises have limited to being yellowish spots on her arms and skin-all except the bruise on her stomach which throbbed when she had moved too fast.

Cato had saved her. It was the truth that she would rather not be the case but it was.

Turning carefully to her side, she peeked at the back of his head. The steadiness of breath she could hear as an indication of his being asleep. Gratitude to him on any other day will inevitably sicken her, but now, she was thankful. Thankful for his instinct that found her, for his strength that had saved her and carried her here, and for giving her the ointment and cleaning of the blood. Cato didn't have to do it but he did, and because of that, she was alive and _untouched_.

Her eyes lingered at his blonde hair, the wide expanse of his back, and the broadness of his shoulders. She squinted at the dimness of the barely lit room, but she couldn't miss the red violet patch of skin marring the area of his bicep to the shoulder blade at his right side.

Alarmed at the sight, carefully, she had traced the ugly mark with the tips of her fingers. Katniss must have poked a sensitive spot when Cato had jolted awake in a second and roughly grabbed her wrist.

"What the fuck?!"

She didn't say anything, her eyes impulsively landing on the bad swelling on his shoulder.

Cato had followed her line of vision and snorted as he released his hold "This is nothing. And it doesn't concern you. Go back to sleep."

Whatever he was suppressing from telling her, it didn't stop her from being curious. He was glaring at her right now, and she challenged it with a blank look. The lines of his eyebrows deepened as he boiled in anger. "Well? Aren't you going to sleep?"

"I can't sleep." The blue of his eyes demanded her to do as he says, but she lingered at the sight of the bruise.

He made an annoyed sound and shook his head. "Okay, fine. I broke the fire exit door on the way to the roof. It was locked because apparently, people from the Capitol don't like using the stairs. And that's how I got this." Cato flashed the big bruise again. "Satisfied? Now shut up and sleep like a normal person would at this time."

With that, he dropped on his pillow and covered himself with the blanket. It was obvious that he wasn't able to sleep right away. But nevertheless, Katniss lay down and absentmindedly looked at the ceiling. She understood completely that he climbed the stairs all the way from the bottom floor where they trained and that he hurt himself trying to get to her. She understood that maybe words wouldn't be enough.

She had thought then of the promise of his word-of fulfilling his end of the deal and more. She remembered her stubbornness with playing along and what he had repaid it with, or rather what he did for her despite what she was doing to him. This morning, he had asked from her a kiss, and perhaps to thank him, that was what she should do.

Mustering up all her courage, Katniss crossed the pillow barrier and pulled him down to a prone position. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and his blue eyes never seemed as furious. It was that look he gave her when they first met in the elevator and he looked genuinely angry. It was that look that scared the bones out of everyone.

But before he could even say a word, Katniss pressed her lips on his.

She only meant it as a chaste kiss, and not the open-mouthed ones he usually does, but still, it was like the feeling she got this morning—like her brain went blank and woozy. The plan was to smack him for a really short time, but with Cato, he took it to another dimension. Her mind counted five seconds when his hands were already on her neck and her cheek—and she had to pull away.

Katniss left him with surprise just written all over his face. She shook herself inwardly and laid on her side, avoiding to face him. Silence filled the room, as if both were already asleep.

Katniss covered herself more of the blanket quietly, neutralizing the rapid beating of her heart. It was at the next moment when she felt the absence of the pillow on her back and felt his bare chest pressed against it. His arm gently curled around her waist and pulled her close. Never in her life that she felt so uncomfortable, and yet at the same time she knew it was doing something fair and just.

Letting her eyes flutter closed, she dozed in peace.

* * *

How was this rewrite?

I think this is way better than the fluff (the fluff, which I reiterate, happened when I was in a sugar rush and I wasn't thinking straight).


	13. Unexpected Encounter

Crappy electricity + Internet that seems to have PMS = me being unable to upload a chapter. I've gotten constructive reviews this week and they were so, so helpful. And again, thank you to those who reviewed, who read, who favorited/followed me or my story. So, here's the next chapter.

* * *

A light weight jumped on her legs. It wasn't painful, but the elevation of the mattress at the rude movement rendered her wide awake. Katniss no longer felt Cato's body on the other side of the bed but there was a person in his room that deliberately wants to jolt her to consciousness.

"You know, Glimmer's going to _kill you_. Girls come and go in his bed and most of the time, they _literally_ just come _and then _go because he sends them away. Funny, you're still here. Not that I wanted to spy on him last night, but nevertheless, I'm shocked that I didn't hear anything at all. It's _not_ nothing though." The feminine voice was mocking and mischievous.

Though she was surprised, it could only be Cato's district partner—Clove. Perhaps she can fall asleep again, or maybe, she can fake it and avoid _another _troublesome encounter with _another_ Career. She was becoming a bull's eye of Districts 1 and 2 and they keep on playing target practice with her. First Cato, then Marvel, and now, Glimmer _and_ Clove.

"I know you're awake, _12_." The little girl jabbed an elbow to her stomach, particularly where Marvel had hit her.

And almost instantly, Katniss rose from the bed, her hand on the abused part of her body.

She chased her breath for a few seconds, taking large intakes of air in and out of her mouth. Shooting a glare to the oppressor, the pain subsided as the friction of her palm warmed the area. Clove was eyeing her condescendingly like she did when she watched her do the same to other tributes during training. The look she gave was like Cato's but instead of the airy arrogance he exudes, Clove's aura was more subdued but nonetheless still threatening.

"What do you want?" She asked the knife-thrower, a bit too softly than she intended.

The girl's face contorted to an amused expression, mindlessly checking her nails before she answered Katniss' question. "Nothing, actually. Just here to remind you and _warn _you."

She didn't react.

Clove gave her a half-smile. "Not scared, I see. But that's your problem—you _should _be scared. Well maybe not with Marvel anymore, but with me and Cato."

Katniss snorted. "Why should I be? And why only you two?"

Clove sat herself strategically closer and lowered her voice. "Marvel? That dimwit's body is rotting inside as we speak. I know Cato didn't give you a blow by blow of what he did to him, but you should have an idea of what he did by now. And Glimmer? She's so stupidly in love with Cato like you are. But that's far from my point. What you need to know is that by the end of these Games, you're dead."

She exhaled through her nostrils. No matter the odds, anyone can be Victor. "Careers can lose. Careers _have_ lost." Katniss glowered as she emphasized the words coming out of her mouth.

Clove shook her head. "It's either me or Cato, _Katniss._ The 2 of us will be the last standing. And don't you dare line us up with District 1, calling us 'Careers'. It's insulting. Kind of like your delusional mind embarking on a fairytale journey with your imagined _boyfriend_."

Katniss huffed. "I don't believe in those kinds of stories. What Cato and I have is a deal—that's it."

"You can't fool me." Clove mimicked her. "Don't think for a second that he cares about you. He's from District 2. The only reason why he saved you and kicked Marvel's ass to near death is discipline." She eyed Katniss to make a point.

"Discipline is what we live by. District 1 is a place for people who do as they please. Cato didn't tolerate what Marvel did because he was weak in the mind and the body. Marvel was a wimp. Cato can be a pervert at times, but he will never forget that he's from District 2. He is in control, that's why I know he didn't do it for you. This is just how he is—how we are. It's how we're built. This is what you should remember about him, about _me—about us_. We are capable of things, things you can't do with your own hands for reasons you won't understand."

"And you? You're pathetic. Crying like a girl undermines strength. Perhaps what happened to you in the roof was a bullshit call. Get over it and move on. It's not that hard." Clove stood up from the bed and went into the direction of the door.

Gray eyes turned into slits with what she said. She will not be forgetting that experience any time soon. The feeling of helplessness and the panic as the energy left her body in order to fight for dignity and herself scared her. But it terrified her more when she blacked out and remembered absolutely nothing when consciousness left her body.

She responded in mild anger. "How can you say that? You don't even know."

Clove turned abruptly and gave her a menacing, but knowing look. The District 2 tribute then rolled her eyes and turned the knob.

"Don't forget. Oh, and until the Games, don't screw it up with Cato and your act. Because when you do, the first knife I'll be throwing will be in between your eyes."

* * *

Peeta held the cup of freshly made hot chocolate in his hands. The steaming instant concoction was a miracle that tasted like heaven. Chocolate was something that came in occasion back home, and if it did, it was expensive to purchase—even for the mayor.

And here, everything is given away. Like it didn't matter, like it had disposable value. It's not just the people in the Capitol, but also the tributes and the mentors of Districts 1 and 2 that take what they have for granted. He had seen them throw away left-over food like most of the people in the poorer districts weren't hungry.

This was injustice, unfair to think these people had a lot and yet they treat it as trash. They smile and laugh with their full stomachs with their excess rotting and while others were desperate to be fed.

Perhaps it was gnawing at him that they wasted food because it was how they were raised. But everytime he sees it, Peeta couldn't help but remember the pale face of Katniss starving outside the bakery.

He held the mug even tighter.

Maybe this was the reason why he got so angry with her relationship with Cato even though he knew it was planned. Seeing Katniss with someone that could take her for granted was a thought he couldn't take. Katniss is beautiful—inside and out. And she was strong to keep her family together even though she had been doing it by herself. She deserves a lot more than a spoiled, narcissistic boy that found a way to exploit her weakness—she deserves someone who can take care of her, she deserves respect, and most especially _love_.

His outbursts towards Katniss had been unfair. She had been protective of Prim's gift because even though Katniss was good with bows and arrows, and that she had a better chance of staying alive than he does, _nobody_ can guarantee that she will win. Holding on to a keepsake to remember Prim was admirable because he knew it made her determined and it let her recall what it is to be home.

But Cato happened.

The sound of his name wasn't even right to his ears, but now, no matter how much he dislikes the Career, he would have to thank him for saving Katniss. It shocked him, Haymitch and Effie that Brutus, Cato and the mentor of District 1 came pounding on their door, insisting that they discuss _a problem_. At first they thought they were going to break the arrangement of Cato and Katniss but what came of that boy's mouth was a different story altogether.

And he could barely remember himself talk.

Haymitch cursed at all of them. Brutus and the other mentor wanted to start a fight, but Cato carried the conversation and led to the settlement of keeping their lips closed about the incident on the roof lest they be disqualified or killed. And all of them just left—no shaking of hands, just begrudging words of affirmation that they will stick to the agreement and the assurance that nothing like that will happen again.

But what bothered him was that Katniss had been harmed and now was safe. He wanted to pinpoint Cato as the cause of all this mess because of the mere association with Marvel through their Career Pack—but he shouldn't. The violation that has been done was Marvel's alone, and Cato had stopped him just in time.

Peeta sipped on his drink and let his thoughts slip away. He had no idea of how she felt or of how she was at the moment. She may have been terrified, but Cato was able to rescue her. It was a chivalrous act that surprised him, but it was bizarre that a spark of trust grew that he will be able to do the same in the Games.

The beep of the door opening automatically moved his neck into its direction—and it was Katniss entering the living room.

* * *

"Do you want a cup too? There's also food if you want it."

It was the first thing Peeta said when she walked in.

His gentle eyes and honeyed voice greeted her, his hand holding up a cup of hot chocolate. The way he gazed was similar to how he did when he asked to hold his hand in the parade. Peeta had looked at her like he would before all this trouble had happened—before she got entangled with Cato. There was genuine concern and a comfortable softness that she never got used to but it somehow lightened her chest.

Katniss could smell the tantalizing drink that was sweet and bitter all at the same time. It made her forget the stream of thoughts that bombarded her mind when she snuck out. She had gotten out without any trouble nor any nasty encounters. Nobody was awake in District 2's suite, and even Cato was nowhere to be found.

But it didn't matter now. What she needed was food.

"Yes. I'm hungry."

Peeta smiled. He stood up and took a large plate of eggs, toast, and ham as well as a pot of hot chocolate and two mugs. Katniss watched him go in the direction of the open balcony and placed what he held on the floor and sat down with his legs tucked under him. He waved for her to come over.

"Let's eat here. The Capitol's not yet awake and it would be good to get some sun and unpolluted air."

Katniss followed the scent of breakfast and positioned herself across him, adjusting to the somewhat cool tiles beneath her. Pouring a drink in the mug, Peeta let her devour the meal they had for the morning. She had taken large bites of everything on the plate, and it was obvious to anyone that she was hungry than she normally was. Peeta looked on with curiosity in his face.

The both of them were silent for a long time as she chewed.

He had let her enjoy the meal when he shifted his weight nervously and broke the silence. "K-Katniss, are you alright now? After-"

The chunk of bread she was eating formed a lump in her throat. "After _what_?" She dropped the toast sloppily on the dish.

Peeta shook his hair uncomfortably. "Well, Cato came with his mentor and the District 1 mentor early this morning. Cato told us everything and made everyone agree with—"

"Agree with _what_, exactly?" Her question came as a snappy retort.

The boy in front of her sighed and sipped on his drink before he spoke. "All of us had agreed that nobody's going to say anything about what happened to you, what Marvel did, and what Cato did. He said it would be better for everyone if we keep our mouths shut because breaking these kinds of rules here in the Capitol during the Games have consequences which can directly involve President Snow with your punishment—all 3 of you—you, Cato, and Marvel."

Katniss put her palms on her face in frustration. The series of events that happened led to one problem and another and added more difficulty to their current situation. But deep down, she knew that it was right not to talk about it. They didn't know what would happen to all 3 of them because no tribute has ever broken the rules in the Capitol.

"But why do_ all of you_ have to be involved?" Her brows met in trying to understand why Cato had to do say anything to _them_.

"Because Marvel's condition is pretty bad. His mentor asked questions and Marvel had to tell him that it was because of what he did to you that Cato almost killed him. Cato beat him up _and then_ threw him off the stairs. Haymitch and I could barely believe that Marvel's still alive! But his mentor assured us with a threat that he's speedily recovering and that he can still win the Games."

Her body spontaneously took a deep breath and leaned back. Her hands and arms supported her weight as her eyes instinctively shut closed.

_So, this is what Cato had done?_

Peeta moved closer and covered one hand over hers. "Are you alright, Katniss?"

_Discipline is what we live by…He is in control, that's why I know **he didn't do it for you.**_

_Why does she feel something tugging in her chest at what Clove said? _

Katniss had been so immersed in the thought of her words that she flinched when the warm skin came into contact with the back of her hand. Peeta was nearer, his other hand touching her cheek. He was close enough that she felt her breath graze her.

"Hey, are you sick?"

The lids of her eyes fluttered opened at his voice. "No. No, I'm not."

"What do you mean? No, you're not alright? Or no, you're not sick?"

An involuntary huff came out of her. "I'm okay."

Peeta gave her a small grin and released his hold on her. "I was worried, you know. All of us were. Even Effie."

She remained quiet at the news, although it felt nice hearing it. The cup of the already cool chocolate called to her, and her fingers held on to them again and raised it to her lips. The peace and tranquility calmed her mind, despite the foreign view. Peeta and she watched the sun rise beyond the skyscrapers and the concrete buildings of the Capitol. It was beautiful she thought, though it was nothing like back home.

They were taken by the glowing orange slowly filling the city with its luminous color that they failed to see an emerging figure from the balcony door.

And they jumped at the thunderous voice.

"Aren't we a bit too cozy?"

Cato stood tall at the entrance, glancing at Katniss for a second before glaring long and hard at Peeta.

Kneeling down, Cato had pushed the male District 12 tribute to the other side with a force strong enough to shove the smaller boy to where he thought he should be, but gentle enough not to cause any injury. With the wedge between Peeta and Katniss established, he sat on the floor between the Game partners and took the hot chocolate from Katniss' hands.

"Hey that's mi—"

Cato put a finger to her lips before she could protest. "You're my girlfriend."

And he had chugged every drop of the drink in her mug with a smug expression in his eyes.

* * *

How was it? How was it?

Please review! And see you soon!


	14. Scoring Chaos

**Important Note**: I rewrote the last part of chapter 12. I did it because I HAD to. And of course I had to edit a few (and I mean really, really few) things with chapter 13.

And here's chapter 14 for all y'all.

* * *

"Why are you here?"

Katniss threw daggers with cold, gray eyes. The girl last night wasn't there anymore— that fragile thing that had shown fear and tears for the first time. In front of him was the District 12 Volunteer who never showed an ounce of vulnerability. It was the girl whose fighting spirit was one in a million.

Putting the cup down, Cato gave her a toothy grin. "I could ask you the same question. When I got back from my work out you were gone from _my bed_." he stressed his last two words, choosing to disregard Peeta's undeniable uneasiness with his presence. He took a piece of ham to his mouth and continued to speak, "When we snuggled last night I thought we became _friends_. And there I was standing alone and I had to find you and the first guess from my gut led me _here—_to your breakfast date with Baker Boy." His words were laced with sarcastic jealousy.

The prominent arch of her right brow exhibited her suspicion at what he said. "Are you following me?"

"Don't flatter yourself. I'm just really _hurt_ that you decided to hate me again today. " He blurted out hastily, his visage torn between being annoyed and being amused. Taking another bite, he poked at her patience for the nth time and eyed her with a hint of his signature mischievousness as he ate breakfast.

Realizing that a staring contest was in the works for the second time around, he fixed his gaze upon her to see who would win. He knew he could do it because he always won. He wasn't going to lose his concentration—not even the pout she doesn't know she has on her lips that can be considered as _borderline_ adorable. And yet it was at that thought he felt his luck dissipate elsewhere.

A strong breeze blew the curly tendrils away from her face, shortly hiding her curious, slightly agitated usual expression. The unique color staring at him from half-hidden eyes, stood in contrast with the lush hue of her wavy dark hair. He saw again the roundness of her irises and its shocking cold to the warm color of her skin and the light crimson-rouge of her mouth. On the bridge of her nose, he spotted a patch of ginger freckles that stretched thinly to the apples of her cheeks that were still flushed to the heat of the hot chocolate he stole.

Cato felt his mind do a double take that he always sees something new about her every single time he looks in her direction because he found himself losing his trail of thought_. _

_So this is what she looks like when she wakes up in the morning. _

It was kind of angry cute in a breath-taking sort of way.

"Ahem."

Two heads shot up at Peeta's direction. The boy was dusting off non-existent dust from his pants simultaneously lifting himself off the floor. He had steadied himself in an awkward position. "Katniss, I think I should be going."

"Peeta—"

"Then go." Cato interrupted whatever she was supposed to say. He watched him grow angry in a manner that was pathetic. If one could call a curling of fists and a friendly version of a glare, _angry._ Almost automatically, he sized him up—and Cato could tell his immediate weaknesses. His legs were weak for one, his core obviously so. No agility, no endurance, no leg power, no speed—just strength, in which he knew he can easily beat.

Turning back to Katniss, he watched as she followed Baker Boy's steps out the balcony. He might have felt his jaw tighten a little and a pang of immense irritation, but it was one of those moments that he knew he can take advantage of.

"Baker Boy, wait up."

The smaller boy stilled and faced him. His face was an epitome of blankness.

"So, you're aware of Katniss being my girlfriend and all, but me being a newbie with these kinds of relationships, I need some kind of advice." He paused for a moment and gauged Peeta's reaction. But there was none. He had smirked inwardly at that. "What I mean to say is, if you were in my position and Katniss was your girlfriend, what would you do?"

Cato saw him think about it hesitantly. "Why would I tell you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Because I can think of many _other_ things that _I know_ anyone wouldn't approve of—if you understand what I'm trying to say."

Peeta grunted and stomped a step forward. "D-don't you dare lay a finger—"

"Cool it. I'm not gonna rape her." He raised an eyebrow. If something did happen between him and Katniss it wouldn't be _that_. What they did when they played hooky for the first time was an experience he knew she will never,_ ever_ forget. He had let the game escalate to that point to letting Katniss open herself up to him in ways that she will agree and willingly concede to—back then, and of course, maybe eventually.

Cato immersed himself in his thoughts, suspended in animation at the vivid images that flashed in his mind, completely unaware of the rage that Peeta was channeling. His fingers were curled tight, and he responded with gritted teeth. "J-just take her out on a date...But right now, what's more important is to _protect _her during the Games. Not using her for more sponsors _for you_."

Before Cato could retort, Baker Boy had successfully stomped away and the Balcony doors were already closed shut.

_He'll deal with him soon enough._ _Then again_, _Baker Boy wasn't not helpful. Far from it._

"Hey Katniss. A date is a fucking brilliant idea—" he said to her, turning his head back, only to find that she was already gathering in her hands all the empty plates and mugs. He scratched at his hair because she probably didn't hear any of it. Frustrated, he just helped her but instead of being rewarded by even an acknowledgment, she hissed and swatted his hands away. Flaring up, he decided to tick her off just a bit and he grabbed the pot—which was the only thing she hasn't taken hold of yet.

"Can't you just leave?" Her voice was hoarse.

"I can leave, but I won't. Not until I carry this pot to the sink. Plus, we need to discuss _our date_."

Katniss eyed him for a second and Cato let her lead the way. In no time, they reached the kitchen and she was placing all the things in running water. Dropping a few drops of soap into a filled division of the sink, he observed the suds that formed and her hands squeezing the sponge in that same area. Scrubbing the large plate with the soapy water, she put it on the other division of the sink for rinsing. He offered his services once again which he predicts will inevitably lead to a rejection.

"Need any help?"

Without even looking at him, Katniss shook her head. But nevertheless, he started to wash all the soap from the plates, the mugs, and the pot while Katniss dried them off when he was done doing them. They worked in silence, in such a way that he would consider efficient. Positioning the plate to its rightful place, she also put the mugs in their respective holders. Cato watched her complete the chore even as she tiptoed to reach the cupboard just to return the pot.

He chuckled silently at the sight and decided to approach her.

Her lean torso was stretched to prevent the pot from falling, the tips of her fingers on the right hand pushing at the round container to get it inside. Katniss balanced herself with one hand palmed on the marble surface of the counter while she kept herself from falling with all her weight dependent on her toes. Satisfied with what she's done, her heels descended to the flat surface.

"Nice work." His voice had come out lower as he neared her.

At the sound of his voice, Katniss whipped around and Cato had taken advantage of the surprise to corner her on to the counter. He placed his arms at her sides, his chest almost pressed against hers. The meager space allowed him a thrill of excitement to run through his spine. Dipping down, his lips moved on its own—in a split second—and silenced any protests to a kiss. His mouth had moved softly on her shocked, quivering lips.

From that momentary contact, she had frozen up like a statue—rigid and unmoving. It was only when he pulled away that an overwhelming flash of anger was seen in her eyes. Preventing any rough play, Cato immediately grabbed the small fists aimed at his chest. "Easy there."

Katniss struggled against him, fruitlessly attempting to push him away. "What's your problem?"

_Problem? She thinks that 'that' was to infuriate her?_

"Nothing. I just thought about what I said yesterday morning about you kissing me when you see me, and I kind of realized that it's better if I also do the same you." The words just came out almost robotically. _Why was he lying? _

"And, how is that _better_?" She snapped.

Cato raised an eyebrow playfully to make her see his glaringly obvious point. "Because you don't have to do all the work and you get to be kissed _by me—_anytime, anywhere."

He caught the rolling of eyes and released her. A grin instinctively tugged at the corners of his lips. Katniss was being hardheaded, apart from being unable to react properly when he flirted. Not that she was a glad recipient of anything he had said to her before that was laced with a lot of innuendo, nor was she the still the grateful used-to-be-damsel-in-distress to show she was eternally thankful for saving her. Cato forgot that in her experience with boys, he was the only one—and he wasn't like _any other_ boy. He will make her remember that.

Katniss had crossed her arms and he took it as a cue to back off and leave. Taking a few steps back, Cato waved, just hiding the plotting smirk when he left.

"Well, see ya. Do well in your evaluations later."

* * *

_Thank you for your consideration._

That was what she said. Shooting the apple straight from the pig's mouth had rendered the Gamemakers stunned. Attacking them had been a spur of the moment decision, but she didn't entertain any ounce of regret. They got what they deserved. Maybe it was frustrating to miss the first shot, but getting a bull's eye the second time deserved recognition.

But they had ignored her. They had ignored the perfect shot, satisfied with her failure of a first impression.

Effie had told her to be charming, but Haymitch knew that she doesn't have the stomach to stoop so low although it was necessary. And Haymitch was right. Although she couldn't have cared less what the bastards thought of her, this evaluation can help her get back home. The score meant a lot of things—more sponsors and their money. When she had fired the first arrow, the immense pressure was on her shoulders and because of that, she missed. But the second shot was a victory and _not one_ bothered to look in her direction.

The third shot was rage. An arrow piercing through the apple to the wall while the judges laughed around the roasted pig was anger. But nevertheless, it dawned upon Katniss that because of that one arrow, it could jeopardize everything.

She had burst into the suite, walking briskly past all of them and locked herself inside her room. It was 6 pm according to the clock at her bedside table, but she had no plans to get out until the scores were about to be announced. She had two hours to herself—two hours to think that if anything changed because of the low score she was going to get, then the deal with Cato would absolutely be useless. The Capitol wanted a love story, they already got one. But no matter how much that fake relationship skyrocketed their popularity or rather, their notoriety, it will not hide the fact that if she got a fluke for a score she will have a hard time regaining back lost sponsors.

Tearing off the elastic from her hair, she dove into the sheets and let sleep take her.

There was no use thinking about it now. If things take a turn for the worst, she will have to rely on her skills alone.

* * *

Haymitch swung his arms with a bottle in hand. The usually drunk man was still sober, trying to push Effie to the other side of the couch. The Capitol woman sneered and had scooted away from him like a plague. Katniss watched as the stylists plopped themselves excitedly on the carpeted floor, sitting down with large pillows on their laps. She eyed Peeta on a chair by himself at the side of the television while she sat across him on the other chair.

But she couldn't understand why Cato was here with them.

He stood at the back of the couch—behind her mentor and Effie. Cato was leaned forward, his elbows resting on the top of the piece of furniture. He had been talking to Haymitch in inaudible murmurs and their exchange could barely be heard by anyone.

Katniss had to look back twice to make sure if Cato really was there or her grogginess had been playing tricks in her mind. And in doing that, their eyes had met more than once and he gave her a wink_ every single_ time.

She shifted in her seat and made sure that she leaned on the plush arm rest, her legs tucked under. Her body was positioned that it sat facing the television and her back was the only part of her that can be seen where Cato was. It grated on her nerves that he was here for the second time today.

"Good evening, good evening, people of the Capitol!" Caesar Flickerman cheered in his seat. His familiar glittery blue background had the stylists on the floor gleefully applause.

"Tonight, we are on to the training scores each earned by our Tributes during their evaluations earlier this afternoon. Now, as you know, these scores are a large determinant of their standing in the Games. But many of you are aware that there have been a lot of times that these scores are not what they seem to be, but rather surprise us during the Games. What about n_ow_? Will it be any different? We'll find that out soon enough. Let's begin shall we?" The host was handed a sealed envelope for the first tribute.

A slight intake of breath echoed in the now silent ambiance. All attention was on the TV. The people in the room sat up in anxiety—but not her. Though her eyes were open, she looked down at her knuckles, listening to the host's voice.

"District 1. Marvel Miller. 5…Glimmer Allen. 9." She instinctively shook her head when she heard Cato chuckle.

"District 2."

Katniss peeked at Cato still leaning over the couch albeit his face was serious and immensely concentrated on the screen. His elbows were buried deep in the softness of the couch, and his posture was too strained to be described as comfortable. The veins on his arms were bulging from his flesh as his knuckles were curled tight.

"Cato Lindgren…10."

Octavia, Flavius, and Venia jumped at his score—clapping wildly at the number flashed on the screen. Effie had congratulated him but he only gave a curt nod in thanks. The District 2 tribute had pumped his fist as if in victory, but not saying anything else. She didn't find the usual arrogance that usually came with him but rather a self-knowing smirk that she knew in any other day wouldn't be enough to reinforce his big ego.

When Haymitch was able to shut them all up, it was Rue's turn.

"And last but not the least, District 12." Caesar had a tone of finality and it stole all the attention of the anticipating audience. The thumping of her heart had reached her ears, as well as a sudden chill that licked her spine.

"Peeta Mellark…8."

Effie had stood, almost falling in her heels, ecstatic with his training score. The ridiculous dress she was wearing bounced with every frigid movement that she was attempting to make. Her hands were on her cheeks unbelieving at the good score given by the Gamemakers. "Oh! Oh my! Peeta, congratulations! A tremendous surprise indeed."

Peeta had accepted her _praise i_n a manner of embarrassment and shyness. He only shook his hair at being the center of attention. When he had managed to squeak out a thanks, the trio of stylists had hugged him. They resumed their boisterous noise up until Katniss' face was shown.

She took a deep breath. _This was the moment of truth. _Caesar Flickerman had flipped the top of the envelope and took out her score card. "Katniss Everdeen…"

"11."

The announcement incited a unanimous gasp at the highest score among the Tributes. Mouths were left gaping at the number that told everyone that Katniss Everdeen was the best bet and the Tribute that would most likely win. Never in history that a District 12 Tribute ranked that high and most especially now when even before the Training begun, people have placed their money and the best odds of winning, of all the Tributes—on Cato.

She didn't expect this result. No one would have. The stunt with the pig had been the deal breaker.

Katniss didn't notice the people around her were already screaming. She had not even paid any mind to the pesky presence that stood in front of her chair. And before she knew what was happening, her body was hoisted up from where she sat, her legs hanging in the air as Cato pulled her into a strong embrace. Her face was buried at the crook of his neck, unable to speak up.

"Congrats." He chuckled into her ear. Cato pacified her struggle and held her tight. She felt the tickling sensation of his breath on her hair.

"Your drunk mentor allowed me to kidnap you. _So I am..._Right now."

With a sweeping motion, Katniss was flung over his shoulder and she was too confused to scream. Taking her shoes with them, Cato had ran out the door as fast as he could.

* * *

You know what to do. :D


	15. The Date

People, I'm alive! I know, I know. It's been a long time. The year was a whirlwind of getting sick for me and no, it's not an excuse. I was really sick and it's the reason why I haven't updated. But here's the next chap now and it's 4, 800+ words!

Thank you, again for reading this story. Hope you like this coz it's their date! (wink wink) ;)

* * *

No, he wasn't angry at all. Surprisingly, not _at all_.

_But perhaps_, there was a slight annoyance that somebody from the outlying districts beat him from getting the highest score, _but then_ that was overcome by the fact that one, Marvel got a shitty score, two, District 2 still has the highest average score, and by the fact that even if Katniss did get an 11, he was happy for himself that he got entangled with someone who wasn't a weakling and that no matter what she does at the moment, she was still _at his mercy._

Shivering in his hold, Cato reveled in the feeling of pride and amusement as the tribute who got an 11 was trembling from something she couldn't see. The scrawny girl in his grasp placed her arms around his neck—not willingly as he observed. For every few steps nearer the water, a tiny and almost inaudible squeak would reach his ears that inevitably pointed out to him that Katniss was frantic. It didn't help that the sound echoed inside this room and bounced back with a magnified intensity and he couldn't do anything about that except hold her closer to him which no doubt, she wouldn't want. The dependency on him; however, it kind of turned him on.

In between deep breaths, his captive just managed to choke out a few words. "W-where are we?!" There was a distinct trace of distress despite attempts to making it sound as calm as possible.

Cato smirked. "You'll find out soon enough."

Momentarily releasing his arm supporting her back, he took both her wrists behind his neck and tucked them to her side, held together by his one hand to prevent her from taking off her blindfold.

The soles of his feet kept moving forward, finally moving towards the shallow part of the artificial sea. Sand squished in between his toes as the water rose from the soles of his feet, to his ankles, and to his waist. The water was lukewarm, and inch by inch, Katniss was feeling it as well. Her butt and the tips of her toes were the first to get wet; and the deeper he went, more of her was being submerged until she was almost already floating in his arms. Water continued to seep into the pleats of her dress and ever so excruciatingly slow, the licks of the water caused an onslaught of goosebumps appearing on her arms and shoulders.

Removing the arm holding the back of her knees, he rubbed the visible chill with his palm to create some warmth from the friction. Katniss had cringed at first, but had let him continue to do so when a growl escaped from her throat.

"I swear, when we I get out of here, I'm going to—"

"You-re going to _what_?" Even though Katniss couldn't see him, he raised an eyebrow.

No response. _Hmph. _A smirk formed on his lips while a pout was carved on hers.

Cato couldn't but feel slightly satisfied with himself that he finally elicited tiny flashes of agitation and desperation from the Girl on Fire. If there was anyone who has never shown fear of him that was not from his district, then it would be Katniss Everdeen. Only her. It occurred to him that he should be insulted because compared to a living, breathing, dangerous and beyond strong career, she chose to be petrified by a _fucking_ oversized swimming pool. Not that he wanted her to be scared of him now, he just wanted to tease her a bit before he rolls out his plan for the rest of the evening.

Slowing down to until the water reaches his shoulder, he felt the girl's breath hitching on his collarbone; and his nimble fingers went immediately to the blindfold. A slight pang of pity coursed through his consciousness when the supposedly gray eyes were closed shut, her lips were in a straight line and her brows met in blatant trepidation. But he knew he had to do this. It was part of his plan. Placing a hand behind her neck, and an arm around her shoulders, he muttered two words: "Deep breath."

And with that, Cato bent his knees and brought Katniss with him.

The water swallowed their bodies whole with the machine-made currents swooshing their balance underneath. Still, his strong legs controlled any sudden movements and had allowed him to remain standing and with her still safe. The bluish-green hue of the mass volume enveloped and covered them in its alien glow. Luminescent was their skin under the water and other-worldly was their appearance. Peering just at the bottom of his chin he finally found the strangely beautiful gray orbs finally glancing at back, faintly hidden from the loose curls swaying gracefully about from her face, only tainted with undisguised horror.

Blinking in consternation, he was surprised when Katniss pulled him closer and wrapped her legs around his waist. Ear-to-ear, their bodies met as she pressed herself shamelessly against his frame in a tight embrace. He knew it wasn't seduction, nor was it any indication that she was happy and grateful to him for taking him here.

Katniss was terrified.

* * *

She knew that he was carrying her like a sleeping toddler, but none of that matters as she was still alive and _didn't drown._

Sucking in a large amount of air, she breathed deeply when both their heads popped into the surface. She might have looked like a fish just out of water wrapped like a barnacle around the muscular body that held her, but she couldn't care less. With hair just scattered all over his shoulders and obstructing her vision, she coughed into her system the oxygen that was lacking when they were down there. It was the most important thing at the moment though his palms dug onto her naked thighs to maintain her position and that her lower body was rubbing dangerously close to his equally naked torso.

The pool might have been lukewarm, but once the air had started blowing into their skin as Cato went for more shallow water, it became strikingly apparent that the only thing that can be considered warm—or rather _hot—_was his breath on her shoulder and the lack of space between their bodies.

"Katniss." His chest reverberated from the sound of his voice. It was almost a whisper but with an audible tone—the kind he used last night.

_Last night. _

Strong arms circled around her waist as he murmured into her hair. "Hey. We're out of the water. I can put you down if you want to."

Snapping out of her thoughts, she jumped down without any warning and stumbled backwards into what she now recognizes as sand. Cato steadies her with one hand as she looked around into a replica of a beach. The sea with the waves was the bath, and on the shore, where they are, is a large bed, a dining table for two, a pantry, and another door which she assumes where the toilets are located. The place was a cheap copy of nature, with species of colorful birds in their cages, fans that blow warm wind, and the video ceiling which showed a clear blue sky and the glaring fake sun. Admittedly, the room was beautiful but it was a distinctly Capitol creation.

Now eyeing the hand that was still on her shoulder, her hand rose in reflex and slapped it away. Cato narrowed his eyes then, but anger oozed from his being when with all her strength, she shoved him as hard as she could and bolted towards the door.

Striding as fast the length of her legs will take her, her skirt clung like second skin. Her hair blew wildly with her speed, and her feet left a trail of sand each leap and jump she gave. It was a familiar predicament that she was in, and the blood pumped in her veins as heavy footsteps followed her closely. Once again adrenaline was injected into the moment and disbelief muddled all reason from this current predicament.

It was only a few minutes ago that Cato took her from District 12's suite and didn't even give her a chance to breathe and push him away before he pulled out long pieces of cloth to keep her immobile and unable to fight, scream, nor see. But upon being thrown over his shoulder, she mustered up all the strength to struggle against his grip though the bonds that tied her were expertly knotted around the intended areas for effective captivity, ensuring a more or less zero possibility for any plan of escape.

And that's how she got to where they are now.

Barely even glancing to the boy behind her, all energy was drained when a force hauled her backward onto a rock-hard wall—Cato's body. Seizing her from the spot, he gruffly hoisted her up, with arms and legs flailing uncontrollably from his hold.

Katniss immediately found her voice. "Let go!"

Her demand unmet, his grip tightened as his feet strode towards the far end of the shore. The roughness of his actions and the clenched jaw indicated that that he was clearly and glaringly pissed. The cold blue of his eyes lacked the usual mischievousness and the awkward expression of concern that he seems to show in extremes when he was with her. The evident exhibition of his strength, she knew, was a brawny display of what he could do and came as an act of intimidation to prevent her from doing anything stupid.

"C-Cato!"

He wasn't even looking at her.

Only with a steady gaze did he move forward despite her boisterous and violent protests. His feet didn't stumble or slow down, keeping his pace despite her lack of cooperation. It seemed that the room was big enough for her to make his travel difficult to the other end of the room, but between the blue of the phony sky and the sight of his chin, her world suddenly tumbled once over and then she was standing upright once again under the annoyed, scrutinizing glare of the tall tribute.

* * *

Landing Katniss on her feet, Cato kept her nailed in place with warning in his eyes and crossed his arms. He trailed over her lithe form and noticed each blink, each strand of hair, and every drop of water trailing over her skin, as well as the pretty dress clinging desperately to her curves. The girl in front of him was undoubtedly furious and out of breath. Her pinkish hands were still curled in fists and recognized the result of them pounding fruitlessly onto his chest. Permeating through her stare was distrust, a suspicion and an undeniable look of disgust—it was different than last night or this morning, even when he caught her by surprise and kissed her.

With gritted teeth, he spoke each syllable with poorly-veiled irritation. "What is wrong with you?"

Katniss took a slight step forward and raised her voice. "Well, what's wrong with _you_? Why did you try to drown me?" She had taken an offensive stance and pushed him with half her strength.

Raising his arms in mockery, he couldn't help but snort at her accusation. _Why would he drown her?_

"This isn't funny." She pointed out.

Locking her in his gaze, he moved in. Bridging the gap between them, he took a confident step forward, and another, and another, until he backed Katniss to where he wanted her to be. Each advance of his foot was placing her nearer to vulnerability; and as his steps became more rapid, she became increasingly unaware where he was taking her. Eyeing the back of her knees, he held on to her shoulders lightly and allowed himself to gaze upon her eyes blinking in shock and her form as it fell into the sheets of the king-sized bed.

Cato stood over her as she lay defenseless in front of him. Indignation flashing in her expression, hair disheveled, clothes crumpled—it was a familiar sight that will forever be embedded into his mind. He knew that there will be a lot of fighting on her part now that she was in his favorite position—on a bed. The corner of his lips tugged upward at the thought.

_But_, no matter how much he wanted to play with her, they needed to talk first. Or both.

Covering her body with his, he leveled himself until they were eye to eye. Katniss was beneath him as she has been before and he wouldn't lie in saying that in breathing in her earthy scent, the proximity was making the false humidity hotter. Agonizingly slow, he took one reluctant wrist and the other in his two hands and placed them above her head; and almost instantaneously, she was thrashing against his chiseled and dominant form. Her head moved from side to side, her legs helplessly kicking into the air, as her torso bumped unwillingly against his.

Maintaining control despite her restlessness, his words came out soft yet demanding. "Why would I drown you, Katniss?"

With defiance, she refused to answer. No words came out of her mouth, but rather in response, she looked at him like the reason was strikingly apparent. His grip on her tensed with her lack of words. "I can't read minds, you know."

Again, he was met with silence.

_He knows what to do._

Inching his face closer to hers, he planted butterfly kisses on the sides of her face—taking his sweet time as his lips landed on her temple, her brows, her eyes, her cheeks, her jaw, her chin—mindful of the injuries she incurred. Unable to stop there, he wandered at the bottom and the corners of her mouth, lingering on the sensitive patch of skin to punish her lips by denying them a kiss. Each kiss rendered a gasp, a whimper, or a shudder from pleasure and fright; and Katniss tilted her face to the side of her arm to guard her from his attentions.

"Wait." She whispered in a muffled voice.

"Tell me why, Katniss." His voice came out huskier. "Tell me and I'll stop."

Placing her wrists at the sides of her shoulders, Cato didn't wait and buried his nose at the crook of her neck. His chest pressed closely against hers, feeling the beating of their hearts clashing in different but accelerated rhythms as he inhaled the scent that was so distinctly Katniss. Wet kisses graced the exposed flesh calling to him and his mouth couldn't help but obsess on the area on her throat. The thrumming of her moans vibrated to his lips and never had it left a taste of so much gratification that he could make her enjoy this. Following the trail of soft skin, he nipped on the sides of her neck with gentle bites and more wet kisses.

Whatever she was inaudibly muttering was drowned out in a haze of mewls and noises which he can describe can only come from kittens.

Pressing more weight onto her, he loosened his grip on her wrists and entwined his fingers with her own. Changing his course, his mouth made his way up to the tip of her chin once again and traced the slight curve that formed at the bottom of her face. Feminine lips were quivering at the feather light sensations bombarding her face and neck. Cato blew on her closed mouth at a tempting distance as he felt every movement beneath him—every time she squirmed, arched her back, or thrust her hips—and the nether regions of his body were in pain. So much, that as her hips jerked against his groin, he groaned uninhibitedly into her ear.

The sound must have knocked her back into reality because with a loud intake of breath and a sigh, he watched her look up from underneath her lashes and struggle to speak. "M-my score."

_Her score?_ His forehead wrinkled in perplexity.

"My score." She repeated her answer to his question.

Shrugging with disappointment and slight embarrassment from losing all trace of the conversation before their heated exchange. Cato crouched over her—relieving her of his heavy weight and grip. Extracting his body from hers was excruciating; but with a grin, he looked on with fascination at her flushed cheeks and the little kiss marks on her neck that were going to be difficult to hide as the evidence of this tryst. Forcefully, he mentally shook himself to focus and fix the misunderstanding between them. And in all seriousness, he looked directly into her eyes.

"Katniss, I'm not a kid." He said as a matter-of fact. "I'm not going to hurt you over that."

Now the one crossing her arms, Katniss had doubt written all over her face. "Then, what was with the drowning scheme? Why did you bring me _here_?"

Cato let out a frustrated huff. Blood shot up on his face as tried not to stutter. "Stupid, I wasn't trying to kill you. I was trying to tease you. _And_, this is a date—the date that Baker Boy suggested."

It rattled him how difficult the words came out. At this point in the night, he would've expected a longer version of what transpired a moment ago and maybe even more, but the turn of events and her paranoia had changed all his plans. Not that it hasn't happened since they got here in the Capitol, but some predictability in this relationship-arrangement thing might be good considering in two days, they will be in the games. He did expect; however, a sliver of trust from the girl he saved—but he knew she was too smart and clever to even consider that.

_But_, last night was different. _Way different_.

The rise and fall of her breath disguised any sort of apprehension from what he had just said. Rolling off to his side, Cato pulled Katniss to sit at the edge of the bed. She was still hesitant and pulling away, though, even if she denies it, she was _very_ responsive to his kisses and his touch. Never had he felt his jeans more constraining than it did now. Both of them were still drenched from the pool, and now they were covered by a thin layer of sweat from their _activity_. His pants were itching with discomfort as it became tighter upon witnessing the damp fabric of her dress accentuating her smaller form yet covering nothing as titillation was evidenced in the hardened peaks protruding on her chest.

"So, what are you trying to do now?" She whipped her head to face him.

Chuckling to the sight of her dazed and lost, his mouth descended on the pulse point beneath her ear. "Seducing you to join me in the pack."

His hands had a mind of his own and pulled her close. The immediate impulse as their chests rubbed once more was to kiss his way to the line of her jaw teasingly. A slight shiver tingled on his spine as her body uncontrollably leaned in to his warmth. He knew that her mind would strongly oppose the stirrings that moved her body to breach her restraints, and yet, here she was. Even as her hands were placed on her shoulders to keep him at a farther distance, they were with a lack of conviction and threat. Allowing him to rest his forehead on hers, she surprised him with her curt answer.

"No."

Shaking his head in disapproval, the tips of their noses touched and Cato smiled against her lips. "I don't think you have a choice."

Before she even pounded her fists against him, yet again, his strength yanked Katniss onto his lap. Her skirt skidded all the way to her hips as she unwillingly straddled him on the bed. Dark, brown hair formed a wall around their lines of vision, their eyes anticipating the other's move. His throat became dry as his body shook in impatient anxiety. He didn't fail to notice the gray orbs widening momentarily in the speed of transition, but her face was now unreadable—cautious and unmoving. He, on the other hand, was extremely ecstatic and more than willing to break that challenging façade.

Angling himself better, he bucked his hips upward—and she fell apart.

With an outstretched neck and her head falling all the way back, he tugged her back to him and gave her a tormenting kiss. Only a peck to the lips, Cato made his lips familiar with her cheeks, her chin, and her throat once again. The skin was sweet and soft and his senses were overwhelmed in the thrill of her reluctant susceptibility with a harmony of erotic sounds rising from her chest. Katniss breathed heavily above him, with eyes still strong and rebellious. "I-I do. I have a choice."

With another short kiss on the mouth, he playfully responded.

"Not when I'll be getting your bow."

* * *

"How do you know that?"

Fingernails embedded into his skin, Katniss clawed his arms while she eased her weight away from him. Cato wasn't supposed to know—_nobody_ was supposed to know. Yet, he was blackmailing her into joining an alliance with the Career Pack with the weapon of her choice. However way he found out, it didn't give him the right to claim wasn't even his and use it against her like her Mockingjay pin. She can't allow that to happen _again_. It put her in a tight spot with the most ruthless of all the Tributes; and it made Peeta all the more a target. It was a death sentence to them both. No one will be able to protect him—not if she's with _Cato_.

The Career Pack are called a 'pack' for a reason. Districts 1, 2, and 4 are a cliquish group of formidable, heavily-sponsored and trained Tributes; and for countless of times, they won. The inhumanity of the Hunger Games becomes more disturbing when the last tributes consist of those from the pack. The lifeless and cold eyes taking the lives of others who are deemed weaker or stronger—it depends on whoever takes the challenge of the situation. If Cato did arrange for her to be there and at the same time leave her defenseless by withholding the only thing she can defend herself with, she will be the first to get killed.

The boy winced at the contact but merely let his hands fall sluggishly at her hips, motionless despite the shift in weight. Red stripes marred his marble-like skin, miniscule spots of blood in striking contrast to his coloring. Sitting back comfortably, he gave her a devilish grin and simply responded to her inquiry. "Your mentor. He slipped when I gave him a bottle of rum." Cato paused, waiting for her reaction but ended up eyeing her lips. "And in case you're gonna ask, I didn't pry. It was drunken word vomit."

_Haymitch. _Her knuckles turned bone white. "I don't believe you. He wouldn't do that."

Katniss trusted Haymitch with her life though he never seems to have a regard for it. Her mentor may be intoxicated ninety-nine percent of the time, but he would _never _rat them out. Seething with fury, her fists aggressively pounced on his shoulders. Katniss didn't care where she hit him, now that she had more of an advantage in terms of position. Peering down, she battered his chest, his collarbone, his arms—all in his inability to block every punch that landed on his ripped body. Each blow was an outburst frustration. _He deserves this. _

"Shit, Katniss! Calm the fuck down."Cato shouted out but didn't attempt to fight back. "Hear me out!"

For once, he seemed at a loss how to handle the situation. Katniss watched him battle inwardly as she ignored his words. As best as he could, he tried to cool her head simply by avoiding any physical retaliation and losing his voice in trying to make her listen, but it only fueled her rage. Cheeks reddening in open intolerance, it was only when she saw him shake his head like he's had enough did she recognize a renewed determination. Shielding himself from one of her strikes, he caught one wrist and pulled her harshly back down to his lap.

And it was enough for her to cease all movement.

"Relax." He murmured, quickly kissing her neck.

The sudden weight of her hips on his crotch startled her as she felt the twitch of something firm and lengthy pressing against her thinly protected womanhood. Slipping almost perfectly down to his waist, his overheated skin tickled the delicate area in between her thighs—the coarse fabric of his jeans unabashedly brushing her, creating a jolt of sensations sizzling towards her core. Warmth poured forth at the point in which they were attached to one another, and she struggled for coherence at the overpowering heat from the startling contact.

With a sudden jerk of his hips, Katniss screamed.

Eyes rounded and mouth agape, she buried crimson crescents on his shoulders, feeling the bulge rub viciously the bundle of nerves that lay accessible with her legs widely apart. Cato watched her with a suppressed desire burning in the freezing blue shade of his irises and it made her feel all the more exposed. For a moment they had looked mesmerizing, alluring, and consuming—but, it frightened her all the more. There was something building from within, from the depths of her being. She had experienced it once, and now, she will be experiencing it again—arriving at that peak _with Cato_. And in his gaze, she knew, he was feeling it too.

Somewhere in between her sharp intakes of breath and mewls, a muscular arm caught both of hers behind her back and flopped her hastily to the bed. He climbed over the stationary form, hovering completely above Katniss, until he deliberately found his way to her mouth once again. His kisses were like petals against her lips and her skin—still teasing and yet all playfulness was gone. There was so much heat permeating through their wet skin and damp clothes and it made her stop thinking. She just _felt_—his hair as her fingers roamed through the blonde mane, his tongue as it dove into her mouth, and his touch as it grabbed every inch of her bare skin. With both hands, Cato lifted her hips easily and crossed her legs around his waist. And almost frantically, he began to thrust.

Moans, grunts, groans filled the room as they lay with entangled limbs, moving with purpose towards their release. His body pulsated with unbridled desire, stroking with precision her overly sensitized clit. Each jarring push shot electricity between her legs, and every time, she felt a shudder of pleasure running through his vascular body. Obscenely gyrating his hips, Cato hit her pearl again and again as he jerked his lower body in evident need. Her nails raked his back with bloody trails—clinging herself to him as Katniss felt she was losing her mind.

The boy above her had difficulty finding his breath, beads of sweat covering his skin and his movements in concentration to finish them both. Squeezing her butt, Cato shoved her hips to meet his thrusts and the undeniable proximity towards satisfaction was apparent. She was on fire—and so was he.

The intensity of the sensations wracked her body when her core spasmed at its peak. Tremors unleashed themselves as Cato moved against her still shivering form. With frenzied thrusts, a distinctly masculine, guttural sound vibrated from his throat and she knew, he had reached his breaking point. His form shook at his release, hands still clenching her tight beneath him, and his eyes shut at the aftershocks of his climax. It was a toe-curling sight as he lay breathless over her, his power and size becoming a heaping mess because of her and what they did.

Katniss gazed upon him finding her stare fixedly, and, licking his lips, his mouth descended on hers once again. It seemed that all her questions and her anger was gone save for the few words that managed to find its way at the back of her throat. "Cato, we need to talk."

Piercing blue eyes conveyed a silenced promise, but he whispered breathily. "Tomorrow."

Lips molding together in sync—fully satisfied and void of any memory but that of the pleasure that still throbbed with excitement. It was a lazy kiss, but it ignited her all the same. Any sense of urgency was diminished and only the moans of gratification of feeling the comfortable warmth pressing and rubbing against one another. Arms locked around his neck, her lips were left swollen in his insistent need for more as he bit and sucked the pink petals with gentle bites.

It gnawed at the recesses of her mind that this should be wrong—that this_ is_ wrong. But, nothing felt that way—it was the opposite.

Her head was in a haze, still registering every sensation even though her body was tired. Time flew as he ravished her mouth; but with a kiss of finality to her forehead, Katniss fell asleep.

* * *

I didn't know how I wrote this but I did. I had to stop several times just coz I thought I didn't know what I was doing. I hope it turned out alright.

Please R&R!


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